[1mp0551b13]

Hi, I am new to the forum and relatively new to PC gaming and I am looking to get the most out of my old system while gaming.

My pc is not exactly a gaming pc, it is used for everyday tasks such as web browsing, multimedia, office and occasionally gaming.

When gaming I keep all the graphic settings to low including the display to 640 x 480 to prevent lag

What can I do to improve the gaming performance without upgrading my components?
I was thinking something along these lines:

1 - disconnect the internet, antivirus, unnecessary windows services before gaming

2 - create a new user account to be used solely for gaming

3 - finding a software to maximize the graphics output while gaming

what would you suggest I should do? Any other options available?


Cheers
Chris

[Rasczak]

Welcome to the forum

Razor is the forum expert on this sort of thing but it would be helpful to know your PCs specifications. What processor, memory and graphics card do you have? What operating system are you running? What is your monitors resolution? This will help us direct advice to your system.

1 - disconnect the internet, antivirus, unnecessary windows services before gaming

I wouldn't worry about disconnecting from the internet - especially as it will probably cause you hastle if games look for it. Is certainly worth shutting down unnecessary programmes. Depending what operating system you are running there are also a myriad of tweaks you can apply:

Optimisation guide for Windows XP

Optimisation guide for Windows Vista

...hopefully those links providing a starting point. Google for further information/guides/tips.

2 - create a new user account to be used solely for gaming

Frankly I wouldn't bother with that.

3 - finding a software to maximize the graphics output while gaming

Keeping your graphics drivers upto date helps and there are other things you can do - overclocking for example. But post you'll need to post your system details before people can help you further on that.

[1mp0551b13]

thank you for the quick response

I have read the links on optimizing the performance, I will make good use of some of those tips, namely the pagingfile, i though it had to be the same as your RAM, but next time i defrag my system I will double it. thanks

My system is quite outdated:
Win XP sp3
AMD Athlon 64 3000+
1.81 GHz
2GB RAM
Nvidia 6200 512MB graphics card

My system is updated to the latest microsoft updates, directx 9, graphics/chipset drivers

I am not sure my system can overclock much, the CPU is single core, at the moment my CPU temp is 30-38c, system 40-45c, can it overclock? I have stock cooling

I have used several XP tweaking apps to optimize the system such as turning off messenger, unloading remote assistance, start up/shutdown times


thanks for your help

[Boon72]

if you have enough disk space(or 2nd drive) you could partition the drive and then install a win XP for gaming and have nothing but the essential software installed.

thats what ive done in the past

[GMC79]

Originally Posted by Boon72

if you have enough disk space(or 2nd drive) you could partition the drive and then install a win XP for gaming and have nothing but the essential software installed.

thats what ive done in the past

Ive always wondered how that works, partitioning and other installs, How'd u go about doing that? Can answer 2 in 1 if the OP wants to know aswell.

[conan]

Looking at your spec, there isn't a great deal you can do. The CPU and memory are OK, but your graphics card is the weakest point. If I remember correctly, the 512Mb version of the 6200 is actually 256Mb of card memory and 256Mb taken from your system memory. At least all the cards I saw were like that. Its a very weak graphics processor as far as gaming goes. If you want to play more games, I would recommend considering an upgrade, for just £30 or £40 you would see a huge improvement.

Its probably not worth spending more than that as you would then start to be limited by your cpu.

[1mp0551b13]

I added a second HDD 320GB for backup purposes, I did try to install a second XP for gaming a while back but I gave up on that idea as the system boots and reads the boot.ini file it wouldn't load up any of the OS installed, it would ask me to choose which OS I wanted.

As I am not the only user of the pc it would be highly annoying for the other users to be prompted with that screen everytime they started the pc.

Maybe I could modify the boot.ini file to hide the gaming XP OS and only load it when I instruct it to but I don't know how

Thanks for the help

[1mp0551b13]

Originally Posted by conan

your graphics card is the weakest point. If I remember correctly, the 512Mb version of the 6200 is actually 256Mb of card memory and 256Mb taken from your system memory.

very good memory there
you are absolutely right it's turbocache

I wasn't aware that graphics card was so weak

To complement my CPU and RAM for £30 or £40 what kind of graphics card could I get? Wouldn't mind a pre-owned GPU

EDIT
something like this card?

WORKING XPERTVISION 7600GS 256MB PCI-E GRAPHICS CARD on eBay (end time 31-Jul-09 10:20:04 BST)

Thanks for the help

[conan]

Something like this Play.com (UK) : Play Value X1650 Pro / 512MB / AGP 8x / Graphics Card : Computing - Free Delivery would be a huge upgrade.

I see you linked a PCI-Express card, I was assuming due to the age of the CPU you have an AGP slot (I know its wrong to assume)


/edit..... The card you linked is pretty good also, you would see a big difference with that. You could check here http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/g...Score,794.html to get a guide, Tom's Hardware isn't the best guide in the world, but its better than nothing.

[1mp0551b13]

WOW that is some card considering the rest of my set up

according to CPU-Z my graphic interface is
PCI-Express
Link Width x16
Max supported x16

i'm slightly confused now


Thanks for the help

[conan]

No worries, you have a PCI express slot You can get a PCI express version of the card also, they will probably be cheaper

[1mp0551b13]

Thank you

I do like that card and PLAY does free delivery which is great

I fear now I might get too excited with the upgrading and not stop at the GPU but there's not much else I can realistically upgrade as my system uses the outdated DDR as opposed to DDR2, any other upgrades would create bottlenecks I guess, better control myself

Thanks for the help


EDIT:
I must say I am very impressed with the feedback received and as of now the forum is on my permanent bookmarks

[CraigofScotland]

Hi buddy, glad u like the forum. its great place for any advice!!!

You should consider perhaps updating your RAM, its cheap to do after your GFX card. memorybits is where you wil get good and cheap ram, including gaming ram 2/3 gig of something with faster speed, you will notice a huuge difference. (prosuming i read you right and only have ddr)

Also, have a look in the classified section of the forums .. people always seeling parts from an old pc etc also make a wanted thread with what you need, how much you can pay etc and see if anyone can come up with the good. Very relaible place to use, as I do weekly now.

That GFX card should suit a higher res than the one you first stated, so you should enjoy it. Also consider ebuyers as a good place for computer parts/electronics on a budget.

Welcome to PC gaming.

[Scorz]

Originally Posted by 1mp0551b13

very good memory there
you are absolutely right it's turbocache

I wasn't aware that graphics card was so weak

To complement my CPU and RAM for £30 or £40 what kind of graphics card could I get? Wouldn't mind a pre-owned GPU

EDIT
something like this card?

WORKING XPERTVISION 7600GS 256MB PCI-E GRAPHICS CARD on eBay (end time 31-Jul-09 10:20:04 BST)

Thanks for the help

Stick a wanted ad up in the classafieds as you will probrably save yourself a fair amount and most likely a better card for that money.

[eiren]

Yeah I've got a 7600GS in my old computer... it doesn't do that well with modern games now. Try for something a bit newer.

[1mp0551b13]

thanks for all the help

the classifieds section does seem like a good bet

I can understand an older graphics card would not be able to manage newer games so well and my current system is very limited on upgrading options as I am using an old socket 939 motherboard, even if I upgrade the GPU and RAM my system will still be outdated


I have been contemplating a new build and researching components for the past few months with a budget of £400-£450 around a E8400, but this is still in it's infancy, in the next 6-9 months I'll have more room to manoeuvre.

In the meantime I think an upgrade on my GPU will be enough to keep me happy until I can invest in the new build


Thanks for all the help

[Scorz]

Originally Posted by 1mp0551b13

thanks for all the help

the classifieds section does seem like a good bet

I can understand an older graphics card would not be able to manage newer games so well and my current system is very limited on upgrading options as I am using an old socket 939 motherboard, even if I upgrade the GPU and RAM my system will still be outdated


I have been contemplating a new build and researching components for the past few months with a budget of £400-£450 around a E8400, but this is still in it's infancy, in the next 6-9 months I'll have more room to manoeuvre.

In the meantime I think an upgrade on my GPU will be enough to keep me happy until I can invest in the new build


Thanks for all the help

The E8400 is an awesome chip for a gaming PC mate and they OC like nutcases, i got 4.2GHz out of mine on air.

[Scorz]

http://www.avforums.com/forums/compu...-g-card-2.html

Radeon POWERCOOL XT2900 1GB - For £30-40 your not gonna get much that's decent, but something like this would serve you better than that GS. Someone correct me if i'm wrong but these things were around the same sort of performance as the 8800GTS cards were they not?

[Clunk]

Originally Posted by NISMO

http://www.avforums.com/forums/compu...-g-card-2.html

Radeon POWERCOOL XT2900 1GB - For £30-40 your not gonna get much that's decent, but something like this would serve you better than that GS. Someone correct me if i'm wrong but these things were around the same sort of performance as the 8800GTS cards were they not?

The 2900XT was a cracking card performance-wise for the time, but also a power guzzling monster. Edit: 215W max draw (yes, that's just the card!!!).

1mp0551b13 - I'd say a HD4650 which can be picked up new for under £40 would be the best bet, or a HD 4670 if the OP wanted to stretch to £50. Second hand, you could maybe knock £10-15 off those prices, but whether that's worth it is up to you. Both cards are very power-efficient, so shouldn't cause a basic power supply any problems, and are excellent performance-per-pound.

4650: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/160923
4670: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152940

[Clunk]

Oh by the way 1mp0551b13, for a useful quick guide if you want a rough idea how any of the cards we're throwing at you compare with each other, have a look here:

Conclusion - Review Tom's Hardware : Best Graphics Cards For The Money: June '09

Basically, the higher up the chart the better.

[BYF]

Originally Posted by 1mp0551b13

thanks for all the help

the classifieds section does seem like a good bet

I can understand an older graphics card would not be able to manage newer games so well and my current system is very limited on upgrading options as I am using an old socket 939 motherboard, even if I upgrade the GPU and RAM my system will still be outdated


I have been contemplating a new build and researching components for the past few months with a budget of £400-£450 around a E8400, but this is still in it's infancy, in the next 6-9 months I'll have more room to manoeuvre.

In the meantime I think an upgrade on my GPU will be enough to keep me happy until I can invest in the new build


Thanks for all the help

£400-£450 can build a decent PC, I built a base unit for gaming 2-3 months ago after lots of help from forum members, see my signature below for more info. I'm sure you can easily better that now GFX card prices have dropped loads recently.

I'm very pleased with it, I just wish I'd never payed out for a PS3 at launch which cost nearly as much and had built a PC back then. For me the PS3 has been the biggest waste of money, £425 and less than a handful of exclusive games worth playing, with multiplatform games being better on 360 and PC.

[Houghsx]

With a budget like that, a bit of home work and shopping around you can get a very decent system for sure. One that is easily better spec than a console. BYF is a prime example of that, you dont have to spend a £1000 for a top notch system.
When you are ready start a thread asking for advice and the good people here will help you no problems.

[Scorz]

Originally Posted by Clunk

The 2900XT was a cracking card performance-wise for the time, but also a power guzzling monster. Edit: 215W max draw (yes, that's just the card!!!).

1mp0551b13 - I'd say a HD4650 which can be picked up new for under £40 would be the best bet, or a HD 4670 if the OP wanted to stretch to £50. Second hand, you could maybe knock £10-15 off those prices, but whether that's worth it is up to you. Both cards are very power-efficient, so shouldn't cause a basic power supply any problems, and are excellent performance-per-pound.

4650: ASUS HD 4650 512MB DDR2 DVI VGA HDMI Out PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer
4670: ASUS HD 4670 512MB GDDR3 VGA DVI HDMI PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer

Bloody hell didn't think of the power requirments of them cards and requires both 6+8 pin connectors was a real nice card though and within budget and would of seen a nice improvement compared to the GS.

[1mp0551b13]

wow guys, I leave the house for a bit and I'm inundated with help

Originally Posted by NISMO
E8400 is an awesome chip for a gaming PC mate and they OC like nutcases, i got 4.2GHz out of mine on air.

4.2GHz wow, what are your temperatures? did you use the thermal compound or the standard one that comes with the heatsink?

Originally Posted by NISMO
http://www.avforums.com/forums/compu...-g-card-2.html

Radeon POWERCOOL XT2900 1GB - For £30-40 your not gonna get much that's decent, but something like this would serve you better than that GS. Someone correct me if i'm wrong but these things were around the same sort of performance as the 8800GTS cards were they not?

Missed the graphics card, it's gone now


I agree on being able to build a better spec gaming system rather than getting a console, plus it is a personalised and enjoyable thing choosing and assembling your own build, makes games feel somewhat more enjoyable

Thanks for all the help and advice on my current system I'll resort to getting a pre-owned GPU to keep costs down and eventually when I pluck the courage to build the new system be sure I will be posting a new thread here as I could do with the help and sugestions on possible improvements on components.


Thanks to all the help

[Houghsx]

Nismo would be using a different CPU cooler I would imagine at those speeds. The stock cooloer is fine if you want to keep it at stock but those chips are born to be overclocked.

[1mp0551b13]

I have been prowling through the computer classifieds section and I found and MSI 7900GTO 512mb PCI-E

http://www.avforums.com/forums/compu...ml#post9886449

I would like to negotiate on the price, taking this into consideration is it a good card? It is one of the top end 7series cards

Thanks

[namuk]

Originally Posted by 1mp0551b13

I have been prowling through the computer classifieds section and I found and MSI 7900GTO 512mb PCI-E

http://www.avforums.com/forums/compu...ml#post9886449

I would like to negotiate on the price, taking this into consideration is it a good card? It is one of the top end 7series cards

Thanks

not bad for your system now , if only keeping pc for 6 months .. the cpu will Bottleneck the card .. thing is what PSU do you have .. only asking due to the 512mb 7 series cards did pull some juice at the time . the the 7950gt power usage you have put offer in for Nvidia's GeForce 7950 GT graphics card - The Tech Report - Page 9

[Scorz]

Originally Posted by Houghsx

Nismo would be using a different CPU cooler I would imagine at those speeds. The stock cooloer is fine if you want to keep it at stock but those chips are born to be overclocked.

Yeah whatever you do don't go trying to OC like that with the standard intel cooler unless you want a fried chip. Using a Zalman cooler and have used the Tuniq Tower 120 both excellent coolers and used Artic silver compound, and temps don't breach past 67c using IBT.

But have dropped back down to 4GHz as the extra 200MHz is not worth the extra volts needs for 4.2GHz, i would love to watercool this chip though and see what it's really capable of.

[Clunk]

http://www.avforums.com/forums/compu...therboard.html

*whistles*

[Scorz]

Originally Posted by Clunk

http://www.avforums.com/forums/compu...therboard.html

*whistles*

Bargain