New Graphics Card or New Computer?

[seejay]

Hello, this is my first post and i need to know whether it would be worth it to buy a new graphics card so i can play my games rather smoothly or to buy a new gaming computer all together. I recently 'inherited' my mom's old laptop and i bought starcraft 2 shortly after (about 2 days ago and 2 days after the inheritance). So i download starcraft 2 and when i first was running it it got to be so laggy that i just disconnected, this happened on the starting screen/menu before i even started a game or the campaign. So i did some research online for a few hours that ultimately did not help much. Then i called best buy and they told me they didn't have what i need but that i should check whether my laptop's graphics card is 'integrated' or 'stand-alone' and that bring to me this point on the forums. Also, if any gaming laptops are suggested it must have 128mb video ram, a 2.6GHz processor/harddrive (this one has 2.19 but runs at a 2.81 level? Explanation?) as well as 1 gig of ram. The reason I'm 'picky' is because those are the MINIMUM requirements for starcraft
Max price for graphics card: $50-70

Max price for a new computer (atleast 128mb video ram): ~$450 (i realize that this is considered being 'cheap' in the gaming computer world.

Current Graphics Card: ATI RADEON XPRESS 200M Series

 

[seejay]

jryan88 - sorry but after a few posts i was told that this laptop has an unreplaceable graphics card. so i have to get a new computer

 

[seejay]

i wish i could use that computer from http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229193&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=4f99aj0965
but maybe dumbed down to $500 haha

 

[Scotty99]

That is the best pre built PC from newegg for the money. And honestly, if you need an operating system as well as a video card you wont get much cheaper than that building your own (maybe to 520 bucks or so if you search for combo deals for hours).

 

[seejay]

Look at those 4 links above by hell.tech. a few people said those were just fine for my monitor as long as i just get an operating system. what else do i need other than an OS and those things in those links? or will i be set after

 

[seejay]

thanks everyone, ill try to wing it from here!

 

[Helltech]

The links I sent you were just something you should look into, yes they will work together, yes those are really REALLY good prices and will suite your needs. You still need to do a little research before buying. Like I said and others have said take the link to the homebuilt section and ask for more help there.

You will still need an optical disk drive, an operating system, monitor, mouse, and keyboard. The reason I didn't suggest these in my prior post are that these things (even a hard drive sometimes) are common items that people use between different computers. So its very possible you have an extra ODD, and maybe even operating system somewhere, as well monitor, mouse, and keyboard.

As a side note its better to build your own then buy a pre-built computer, the only problem is the operating system is a little more expensive, but you gain a lot of knoweldge that will help you in the future. Plus if you ever have problems with your computer will you know everything about it which will help you when it comes to getting problems resolved.

 

[seejay]

Okay so, if you could answer just a few more questions


I currently have a Keyboard, Mouse, and a Monitor as you know.

Let's say i buy all those items within the links you posted, then i buy windows 7 operating system for $100. Will i be set? Or will i need to buy more things before i can put all of it together? Also is there a cheaper operating system that is still good?

 

[Helltech]

Well XP is dated, so that leaves Vista which everyone hates (not me however, its just not as user friends as 7, if you are smart its a great OS), anyway your pretty much stuck with 07.

You will also need an optical disk drive, they are 20 dollars on the egg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118040

 

[seejay]

CONFIGURATION:
•CPU: AMD Athlon™II X2 250 Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
•HDD: 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
•MEMORY: 2GB (1GBx2) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
•MOTHERBOARD: Asus M4A78L-M AMD 760G Chipset DDR2/1066 mATX w/ Integrated ATI Radeon HD3000 Video, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB2.0, SATA RAID, 1 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
•SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
•VIDEO: ATI Radeon HD 5450 512MB DDR2 16X PCIe Video Card (Major Brand Powered by ATI)

Price: $409.00 ($344.00 for the computer and $65.00 shipping - not including OS price) Too good to be true? Other than the ridiculous shipping price...

Comment on whether the processor or anything is bad for gaming etc...

Good setup? Also... do i need to have those hdmi cables? I have these cables that came with my monitor so im not sure if i need to replace those. Will my wireless keyboard/mouse work with the new pc?

Anything that cripples my computer's ability to run SC2?

WAIT. I need an operating system. DO NOT want to spend $100 on Windows 7

Apparently i also get a free modern warfare 2 game with my purchase. This is sketchy to me but the site is a legit computer building site. The price of the PC is cheap and the shipping is ridiculous. Thoughts?

sorry for this whole post being extremely jumbled and for questions just being asked everywhere you read :\

 

[infernox_01]

well you could always try linux. free open source software, ive heard people use it without an anti virus with no problems. im not sure but i think theres a program (wine i think its called) on linux that can emulate software running on windows. could work for the games.

 

[seejay]

not really a good choice, here's something I would go for

-Athlon II x4 635...........................................................................100
-HDD 1TB (since the price ain't that far from the 500GB)...............60
-2 X 2GB DDR 3 1333mhz..............................................................80(i think)
-GIGABYTE GA-770T-USB3 .............................................................80
-HD5670........................................................................................100
- A simple case with PSU................................................................30


it's just under 500................ =D

Whats wrong with that config i posted? plus im not looking to build a computer anymore due to not knowing how to put it together

 

[Ralkyon]

Whats wrong with that config i posted? plus im not looking to build a computer anymore due to not knowing how to put it together

The 5450 is not exactly what I would call a "powerful" card.

 

[seejay]

I found some $400-500 desktops on ibuypower and cyberpowerpc but ive read reviews and about 1/5 say that ordering from their website is for people who know how to fix a computer since the computers usually arrive with loose parts etc. that i probably wouldnt know how to fix. Also the reccomended GHz for starcraft is 2.4 but 2.2+ etc would do fine in my opinion.

 

[seejay]

general specs or specifics? cause theres stuff like types of cooling fans, cases, and expansion cards etc. Do you just want the config like i posted earlier?

 

[seejay]

• AMD Athlon II X2 250 CPU
• 4GB PC6400 DDR2/800 RAM
• ATI HD 5450 512MB Video
• Asus M4A78L-M AMD 760G MB
• 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM HD
• 24X DVD+-R/+-RW Drive

$449 with $65 shipping so... $514... Without an OS i think. Maybe with.. not sure.

I dumbed it down a bit to get:

•CPU: AMD Athlon™II X2 250 Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
•HDD: 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
•MOTHERBOARD: Asus M4A78L-M AMD 760G Chipset DDR2/1066 mATX w/ Integrated ATI Radeon HD3000 Video, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB2.0, SATA RAID, 1 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
•MEMORY: 2GB (1GBx2) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
•SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
•VIDEO: ATI Radeon HD 5450 512MB DDR2 16X PCIe Video Card (Major Brand Powered by ATI)

$345 + $65 shipping and also without an OS.

2gb or 4gb of ram? $25 difference. Which is a better deal for the ram.

I tried 'Open Office' and when i tried to run it, it opened a folder with a ton of icons in it. Might need some help with that.

I already have a monitor and keyboard (can i use the wireless keyboard but replace the wireless mouse?)

Do i need a: Flash media reader/writer, power protector, surge protector, or a IEEE1394 card? No idea what they are.
Let me know if you need more information to further help me, ill be glad to provide it .

 

[Helltech]

You sure you don't want to tackle learning how and putting a computer together yourself, its acutally not to hard at all...

 

[seejay]

Of course I'd like to build my own computer. I happen to have a friend that has a bit of experience in building computers. But I feel like I'd have to go through the problems of realizing certain parts wont work with eachother after being bought or I'll have to re-order parts and send in parts and have to fight employees etc on the phone for refunds or a trade etc... It's happened to me before and if I can find a great deal on a premade/customized I would be satisfied.

Again I would really prefer $400-500 but a buddy of mine also bought a $600 desktop and said it was really cheap for a desktop.

 

[infernox_01]

CPU-AMD Athlon II X3 440 Rana 3.0GHz- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843

Motherboard-ASUS M4A78LT-M LE AM3 AMD 780L Micro ATX- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131619

HDD-Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136358

RAM-Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146740

Video-SAPPHIRE 100283-3L Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873&cm_re=hd5770-_-14-102-873-_-Product

Power Supply-SILVERSTONE ST50F-ES 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256061

DVD-RW-ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Total cost-$502.93. Not sure how much the shipping will cost, most products state free shipping though.

To save around $40 you could get this graphics card instead. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161297&cm_re=4850-_-14-161-297-_-Product

Only things missing is a case and operating system.

 

[decode]

What out for the Mushkin Enhanced Silverline, A few people have reported DOA's and other misc. problems. I recommend you spend a little bit more on a PNY or Kingston etc kit.

 

[infernox_01]

for just $1 more theres these gskill ddr3 ram. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231253.

windows 7 will cost you $99 on newegg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754

the case is your decision really, whichever design you like the most. motherboard is mATX so its small enough to fit into most cases. you could save some money by cutting down on some stuff. getting a smaller hard drive, dual core cpu, cheaper motherboard, less ram etc.

 

[decode]

Keeping in mind that if you skimp on a few dollars here and there it will DRAMATICALLY affect the end product of the build, If you can get a Tri-Core system for $505 with 4GB of ram and a 5770 and you decide to build a Dual-Core system with a 5750 with 2GB of ram for $475(not sure of the exact price) you would probably lose upwards of 50% performance easily.

 

[infernox_01]

found a combo deal that will save you some money. its the x3 445 @ 3.1ghz and a biostar motherboard. the biostar can hold up to 16gb ram while the asus can hold up to 8gb ram. i dont think the biostar supports overclocked ram though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.478085

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section Graphics & Displays to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[seejay]

Not sure if i need 16gb of ram for my cap when the new computer will probably come with 4gb. As for what you said 'decode', im not savvy enough to know where to find these combos/deals your able to find. I'm not savvy enough to know exactly what parts and what types of parts i need to make the computer work apart from motherboard,harddrive,vid card and a cooler.

 

[seejay]

I'm checking out newegg but im not knowledgable in computer building.

Using: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.478085&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=4g7tsqks1z
All i know is that i need a graphics card to go with those two, so roughly $180-200 so far. Yes im that dumb at this.

Also: maybe i can get a bunch of combo deals and save a bit of money with this. As for overclocking i read that it is illegal to a degree? Or atleast violates some warranty or something.