Any Hope of Upgrading This System?

[230G]

  Ready to get back into the game! needing to know if I can upgrade or if I need to start from scratch.
 
Offline with shadows and lots of detail turned off my FR is in the mid-20's mostly.

Here are the details:

System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 9/28/2017, 20:56:22
       Machine name:PC
   Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_ldr.170810-1615)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
       System Model: EP43T-UD3L
               BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E7500  @ 2.93GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.1GHz
             Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4094MB RAM
          Page File: 2511MB used, 5675MB 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

   Display Devices
---------------
          Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750
       Manufacturer: NVIDIA
          Chip type: GeForce GTX 750
           DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1381&SUBSYS_36421458&REV_A2
     Display Memory: 3784 MB
   Dedicated Memory: 1993 MB
      Shared Memory: 1791 MB
       Current Mode: 1680 x 1050 (32 bit) (61Hz)
       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
      Monitor Model: AL2223W
         Monitor Id: ACR08AF
        Native Mode: 1680 x 1050(p) (61.082Hz)
        Output Type: DVI
        Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver File Version: 10.18.0013.5891 (English)
     Driver Version: 10.18.13.5891
        DDI Version: 11
       Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
  Driver Attributes: Final Retail
   Driver Date/Size: 11/10/2015 03:48:08, 15726592 bytes
        WHQL Logo'd: Yes
    WHQL Date Stamp:
  Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-50C1-11CF-EB60-4F161FC2C735}
          Vendor ID: 0x10DE
          Device ID: 0x1381
          SubSys ID: 0x36421458
        Revision ID: 0x00A2
 Driver Strong Name: oem2.inf:NVIDIA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1:Section130:10.18.13.5891:pci\ven_10de&dev_1381
     Rank Of Driver: 00E62001
        Video Accel:
    D3D9 Overlay: Supported
            DXVA-HD: Supported
       DDraw Status: Enabled
         D3D Status: Enabled
         AGP Status: Enabled

  --------------
System Devices
--------------
     Name: Intel(R) ICH10 Family PCI Express Root Port 5 - 3A48
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_3A48&SUBSYS_50011458&REV_00\3&13C0B0C5&0&E4
   Driver: n/a

     Name: Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A36
Device ID: PCI

  ---------------
EVR Power Information
---------------
Current Setting: {5C67A112-A4C9-483F-B4A7-1D473BECAFDC} (Quality)
  Quality Flags: 2576
    Enabled:
    Force throttling
    Allow half deinterlace
    Allow scaling
    Decode Power Usage: 100
  Balanced Flags: 1424
    Enabled:
    Force throttling
    Allow batching
    Force half deinterlace
    Force scaling
    Decode Power Usage: 50
  PowerFlags: 1424
    Enabled:
    Force throttling
    Allow batching
    Force half deinterlace
    Force scaling
    Decode Power Usage: 0

  I don't think it shows, but if it matters I'm using a 700 power supply.

 So is an upgrade possible, and if so, what needs to be upgraded?

 Thanks!!

 

[Bizman]

If the system fulfills your other needs, it's quite easy to make it run AH very well. There's several options depending on your future plans.

The minimalist option, which should suite your existing hardware without further modifications and give you a steady 60 FPS on default settings:

• Add RAM to 8 GB
• Get a GeForce 1050Ti

The headroom option, allowing for a higher resolution monitor up to 1440p, still maintaining the steady 60 FPS:

• Add RAM to 8 GB
• Get a GeForce 1060
• Possibly get a better power supply

The ultra option to allow for any graphical gimmicks:
Get a new computer.

Your processor might allow for some overclocking to get past 3 GHz. I have an E8500 3.16 clocked to 3.8 GHz by just raising the bus from 333 to 400, allowing the motherboard adjust the voltages.  Used Core2 processors are very cheap so the risk is minimal.

Also notice, that both the RAM and video card, and the optional power supply can be transferred to a new computer in case the old system can't do its task. DDR3 won't become obsolete in the very near future, the others being even less platform dependent.

[BowHTR]

You should be able to get better than 20fps with your current system. I was running a GTX750 as well with my frame rate steady around 60 running it at 1920x1080.

Try these setting, they are what I used to run. I also had my texture size at 512 and FOV at 110.



Here is a video at those same settings:

[katanaso]

Like Bizman said, used Core2Duo CPUs are really cheap.  You can find a used E8400 for $10 to $15.

Here's the list of CPUs your MB can use:   https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-EP43T-UD3L-rev-10#support-cpu

[Bizman]

You should be able to get better than 20fps with your current system. I was running a GTX750 as well with my frame rate steady around 60 running it at 1920x1080.---

Good point. What caught my eye was "Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E7500  @ 2.93GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.1GHz". Is that because of some automatic power saving feature? You might want to set that off.

Something I didn't notice for my first post was the 700W power supply. If it's of good quality, it should be able to run most current Nvidia cards.

[230G]

 Man! Thanks for all the responses!

  A little update:

  I couldn't get MY current version of the game to upgrade, couldn't log in or access my account. So, I uninstalled and DL'ed the newest version late last night. I didnt have much time to mess with it, but for some reason the newest version, even running default settings, give pretty fair FR's....60's while just flying around. Of course smoke bogs it down, as expected.

  So I think I'll upgrade what I have.

  4Gb to 8Gb memory upgrade will be easy.

  I'll have to decide between the Geforce 1050Ti and the 1060. Are both thsee offered with different amounts of video memory?  If so, how much would I need?

  As far as the processor goes, I don't mind upgrading it. Will any Socket 775 processor work? I'm seeing for example an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale Dual-Core 3.0 GHz LGA 775 65W Processor for $197, and an Intel Pentium E6700 Wolfdale Dual-Core 3.2 GHz LGA 775 65W Desktop Processor for $116. Woimd a dual-core be worth the price difference? Thoughts? Suggestions?

ETA- The used processors are DAMNED cheap! So what would give me the best bang-for-the-buck as far as core, Mhz, etc?

  Regarding the power supply,  I bought it years ago with AH in mind. It is a Rosewill Green 700W

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182191

 Thanks again for the help and I'm going to fly tonight!

[Bizman]

For upgrading the processor, get one that is natively above 3 GHz. IIRC the current version of the game can use more than two cores, in any case a quad core is a good choice since it allows for allocating other processes to a potential "free" core during gaming. The Quads with a 12 Mb L2 cache look tempting for $50, however you might get roughly the same gaming performance by optimising your current CPU settings and overclocking it slightly. It has been known to overclock to 3.83 GHz using air cooling. Read your motherboard manual. If you don't have it any longer, it can be downloaded from the Gigabyte support site.

If you're not familiar with overclocking, the basic rule is to take baby steps and do some testing in between. What I'd do is to raise the bus speed from 266 to 333 and lower the multiplier to 8.5 to start with. That should result close to the default 2.93 GHz. Then raise the multiplier in .5 steps, testing in between. The default bus speeds are 266, 333 and 400, using them is recommended because your RAM and PCI-e slot speeds may be based on them depending on your motherboard settings. About the bus speed: I like to figure the buses as water pipes. The speed correlates to diameter, the multiplier to pressure. If you want more water to run through the pipe, you can either add pressure or get a wider pipe. The latter is healthier for the pipe. That's why raising the bus speed and decreasing the multiplier is the recommended way for a gentle overclocking.

The 1050Ti ships with 4 GB, 1060 with either 3 or 6 GB. They all are sufficient for AH.

There's quite a lot of negative comments about Rosewill power supplies. Yours is made by ATNG who have been on the OEM market for decades. Not the best, nor the worst.

[230G]

  Follow up and a question....

  I bought (For $18!) an Intel E8400 3.0 GHz processor and installed it. Noticeable difference in performance/frame rates. A other 4 Mb od DDR3 will be installed this evening.

  I'm still looking at the two video cards that were suggested here. My MB has the PCI Express 2.0 slots. Most of the new cards are 3.0. Will they be backward compatible to 2.0?

  Thanks for the help. I'm really enjoying being back in the game!

[Skuzzy]

PCIe 3.0 cards are backward compatible to 2.0.