Frame Rate Advice

[ttflier]

I am thinking about doing an upgrade on my PC - it is a system I built a year of so ago with an ASUS M4A78 MB, AMD dual core Phenom II processor (3.1 GHZ) and an ATI Radon HD 4000 Graphics Card with 512 memory - 4MB system memory.

I currently run the game pretty well as long as I don't use any self shadowing (pretty consistent 60 FPS).  With self shadowing enable and high resolution smoothing my FPS takes a real dive.

My question is: Since I don't want to spend a chunk of change updating both processor and graphics card, which am I better off investing in to improve game play (would like to run full advance graphics in the upcoming new release)? 

Do I need to invest in a processor and graphics card upgrade to accomplish a better game play experience?

thanks,

ttflier

[Tigger29]

Graphics card.  While your processor isn't exactly the most state of the art it still should function well enough for a video card to make a huge improvement.

You should up your ram too.. 4mb isn't NEARLY enough! 

[skribetm]

get a radeon 6970 (getting cheaper now since 700-series is launching);
+ dell IPS monitor = you wouldnt believe how pretty this game is.

1Billion colors do make a difference! specially on that grinder map! the shorelines are just amazing!

[ttflier]

Thanks guys!

[ttflier]

Been doing a bit of online research, seems that 4MB of ram is the max for a Windows 7 32 bit system.  Diagostics show 4mb installed but only 3.25mb usable.

[BaldEagl]

Been doing a bit of online research, seems that 4MB of ram is the max for a Windows 7 32 bit system.  Diagostics show 4mb installed but only 3.25mb usable.

That's true and besides that a 32 bit application like Aces High can't access more than 2 mb of RAM.  As long as you don't have other apps open at the same time you're probably not even using all the RAM you have.

BTW, video card memory counts against that 4 mb limit so you'de be best off with a fast card (fast memory BUS, high memory speed and high GPU speed in that order) with 512 mb of memory.

[Tigger29]

Been doing a bit of online research, seems that 4MB of ram is the max for a Windows 7 32 bit system.  Diagostics show 4mb installed but only 3.25mb usable.

You sure about that 4MB limit? 

[Chalenge]

4GB hehe

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366778(v=vs.85).aspx

[cattb]

Make sure you have enough PSU for the new card. CHeck your PSU you have installed and check the recommended PSU needed to run card.

[FLS]

Save your money, the new version will work with your current system. Enabling shadows won't improve your gameplay.

[11Kenzy]

That's true and besides that a 32 bit application like Aces High can't access more than 2 mb of RAM.  As long as you don't have other apps open at the same time you're probably not even using all the RAM you have.

BTW, video card memory counts against that 4 mb limit so you'de be best off with a fast card (fast memory BUS, high memory speed and high GPU speed in that order) with 512 mb of memory.

Dudes, is this MB or GB?

[Bizman]

Dudes, is this MB or GB?

Read yourself:

4GB hehe

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366778(v=vs.85).aspx

[guncrasher]

Dudes, is this MB or GB?

dont worry no way you can buy 4mb of ram anyway.  everybody knows what he meant.


semp

[olds442]

Been doing a bit of online research, seems that 4MB of ram is the max for a Windows 7 32 bit system.  Diagostics show 4mb installed but only 3.25mb usable.

you mean 4 GB not MB lol

[ttflier]

Double post again