Small Form Factor Solution

[Ooopsy]

I was wanting to rejoin after several years away and wanted to know if AAMRMM missiles have been enabled for those 20K+ P51s that pick and run?  Ok JK, JK.   I know they'll never stop .

plz correct me, but on the surface it looks like I should be good to go between the min requirements and those recomended for good play.
the last time I played was on a system less than 1/2 of these specs and 1.5mbps DSL and I had a very good experience. I have tried playing offline and get less than 10fps at the lowest settings so far.
I am going through the other tips and tricks but wonder if i should just wait for a different GPU or are there some other tweeks I might try to get going sooner.

I am looking for advice on a SFF video card that others might be using. 
Thanks.

My DxDiag:System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 11/18/2016, 19:12:57
       Machine name: SFFHP-HP
   Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_ldr.161007-0600)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
       System Model: HP Compaq 8000 Elite SFF PC
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E8400  @ 3.00GHz (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
             Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8064MB RAM
          Page File: 3989MB used, 12135MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
   User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
 System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D:    0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
          Card name: Intel(R) Q45/Q43 Express Chipset
       Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
          Chip type: Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
           DAC type: Internal
         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2E12&SUBSYS_3646103C&REV_03
     Display Memory: 1695 MB
   Dedicated Memory: 64 MB
      Shared Memory: 1631 MB
       Current Mode: 1440 x 900 (32 bit) (60Hz)
       Monitor Name: Generic Non-PnP Monitor
       D3D9 Overlay: Supported
            DXVA-HD: Supported
       DDraw Status: Enabled
         D3D Status: Enabled
         AGP Status: Enabled

[The Fugitive]

The download is free and so is flying off line. Best thing to do is download it and try it.

From what you posted tho, that video card is not going to cut it. AH3 is very dependent on the video card where AH2 was more on the CPU. A good video card with 2 gig of ram is what runs the game well.

[Drane]

There's a chance this NVidia GTX 750 Ti 2GB low profile video card will get you up and running with AH3 on your current system. Some people have been able to run it with 240W power supplies that came with their SFF PC. It looks like you have room in your case but best to measure to make sure.

Read the customer reviews on the amazon link. Also there's links to HP parts manual with pictures, and Tom's Hardware graphic card info.

https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GV-N75TOC-2GL-Graphics-Cards/dp/B00MW8NXAW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474448795&sr=1-1&keywords=Gigabyte+Graphics+Cards+GV-N75TOC-2GL

http://h20566.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?sp4ts.oid=4065894&docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-c01944842

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gpus,4380.html

[Skuzzy]

The minimum dedicated video RAM requirement for Aces High III is 512MB.  That Intel chip only has 64MB.  It would require a new video card to be able to play Aces High III.

[Bizman]

Your system is basically similar to mine, except for the video card. I have a Radeon HD 6970, about five years old, and my frame rates are about 35 at the lowest except for some very tough situations.

So, what you'd need is a video card. You don't tell your budget, but there's a lot to choose from the cards scoring 3500 or more in http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html. Look only for the GeForce and Radeon models since the rest are meant for CAD and such instead of gaming.

Instead of trying to find a low profile card to fit the SFF, I'd get a tower and a better power supply, allowing to choose the video card from a much larger variety. If your Windows license sticker is on the SFF, you can transfer it using a hair dryer and a knife. That'd be fully legal since it's still the original hardware inside the case.

[Ooopsy]

The minimum dedicated video RAM requirement for Aces High III is 512MB.  That Intel chip only has 64MB.  It would require a new video card to be able to play Aces High III.

Thanks, I'm showing my general and wide ranging ignorance of display mem(1695) and dedicated mem(64). WOW, thats low

i found these on the HP site: Nvidia GeForce 3G210 Graphics Card (SFF)(CMT)
Nvidia Quadro NVS 290 Graphics Card (SFF)(CMT)
Nvidia Quadro NVS 295 Graphics Card (SFF)(CMT)
ATI Radeon HD 4650 DP Graphics Card (SFF)(CMT)
HP ADD2 SDVO + DVI-D Video Adapter (SFF)(CMT)

The best of these is HD4650 @ 1GB.  What sort of limitations might this have?

Should I find a 2GB? What advantages might I see with a 2GB during gameplay?

[Bizman]

The 4650 is a very old mid-low end card. Although the 1 GB memory is sufficient it's of the DDR2 type which is VERY slow. A decent looking slide show is not what you'd want. GDDR5 is what you need.

The Quadros aren't intended for gaming, they're for CAD. And the ADD2 is just a DVI adapter for your current video chip.

I repeat, check the high end cards scoring over 3500 if you want your system to produce way over 30 FPS in most situations.

[TequilaChaser]

I was wanting to rejoin after several years away and wanted to know if AAMRMM missiles have been enabled for those 20K+ P51s that pick and run?  Ok JK, JK.   I know they'll never stop .

You said you wanted to return after being away awhile, so welcome back and hope you can find a way to upgrade your video

Wondering if you are the oldtimer "Ooopsy" from the old Air Warrior days, before you started flying under your other handle, if it is indeed you....then a special welcome back!

TC

[Ooopsy]

You said you wanted to return after being away awhile, so welcome back and hope you can find a way to upgrade your video

Wondering if you are the oldtimer "Ooopsy" from the old Air Warrior days, before you started flying under your other handle, if it is indeed you....then a special welcome back!

TC

I never played air warrior, maybe it was a co worker of mine that turned some of us onto AH. We had it on a comp at work and several of us would play it at different times before boredom overcame most so I took the account and played for about a year ~'06-'07


Would a 1GB DDR5 be better than a 2GB DDR3??????

[Bizman]

Would a 1GB DDR5 be better than a 2GB DDR3??????

Yes.

[Skuzzy]

Memory is just part of the equation.  The performance of the GPU is also critical.  None of the cards you listed are going to run the game well at all.

Our performance baseline video card is the NVidia 9800GTX+ (this is not a recommendation for product, it is just for relative performance comparisons).  That card will manage to maintain 30FPS, or so.  So it is not a stellar performer.

The 4650 video card you listed, which is old, by the way (8 years old to be more precise), is also slower than the baseline video card.  So it will not play the game well at all.  Yet, it is the fastest of the lot you listed.

Just grab the video card model you are thinking about buying, and use Google to search for comparisons of the performance (i.e. 4650 vs 9800gtx, or 4650 vs 750ti).  The 750Ti is considered to be a decent cost/performer by many players.

[Ooopsy]

  :airplane:So I was about ready to click the check out button and found another quandary.

Which is better?  These are for the same brand and model# card. 
A 2G GDDR5 64bit. Or a 4G DDR3 128bit?  Some of the things Ive read, even on Tomshardware, seem to imply that they are two different ways to reach the same end.   

Yes.

  Can I assume that the D5 will always be better than the D3 regardless of other specs?

[Bizman]

--- Can I assume that the D5 will always be better than the D3 regardless of other specs?

As you said, they might be two different ways to reach the same end, but that end might very well be your pocket.

DDR3 is MUCH slower than GDDR5. So to avoid internal bottlenecks the cards using it are slow in other areas, too.

[Ooopsy]

Thanks for the quickness reply.
From what I have gathered my other problem is my PSU which is not easily upgraded, + being worthwhile of my $$ and brain power for a wintertime game distraction. Ive got two other towers i need to sort through or scrap before I do anything else to this one.
The GTX 750Ti I have found has varying power consumption #'s from 60w to 95w depending on configuration and the reporting source of the #s. There is only $5-10 difference between the variations.

I should be up and flying this weekend. 
Thanks

[Bizman]

Check if you could install the motherboard  of the SFF into a regular tower. The model I have lying around didn't fit, but they come in many variations so who knows... Or unleash your Dr. Frankenstein and do some cutting on the cover to fit regular sized video card and psu.