Worth upgrading the processor?

[ScottH]

Hopefully I am posting this in the right place, if not please direct me in the right direction.

I just inherited a hp pavilion a405n. Old, but well maintained and hardly used. The primary use for it is school, but I would also like to play WOW on it. Unfortunately I am running into some problems while playing. The frame rate averages 15 and regularly dips to around 7. The processor is a 2.7 ghz celeron d. Other stats are Windows XP home, 1 gb ddr 333 ram, and 256 mb geforce fx5200 PCI (No agp or pci-e slots).

Newegg has a Pent 4 2.4 ghz for only $52. If the processor is my problem I figure that is a relatively cheap fix, since all my money is going to graduate school. Is the processor killing my game play or is this computer just not suited to play the game.

 

[ScottH]

Yea, I figured something like that would be my problem. Oh well, guess my WOW playing days will have to wait until I become a little richer! Thanks for the help.

 

[Grimmy]

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Motherboard Specifications, MS-6577 (Xenon 3)

I suppose you could drop a P4 that is 400/533 for some improvement... but that wouldn't help much I don't think. It's definitely the video.

Shows that you should have, "Intel Extreme Graphics" intergrated, with AGP slot to upgrade to another card.

BFG Tech BFGR76512GSOC GeForce 7600GS 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X Video Card

That video card might help you out some, but I don't think your looking to spend too much.

edit:

... :lol: . o O( did I find the wrong MB? )

 

[ScottH]

Yea, defiantly looking to save every penny possible. I wish that was my motherboard. Instead fate stuck me with this one, the Gamila.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?docname=c00058048&dlc=en&lc=en&cc=us

So without putting a new mb in my video capabilities are capped I believe. Oh well, can't complain about free.

 

[ScottH]

Yea I saw the parts you listed, but as sad as it sounds, they just aren't financially viable at the moment. After everything is said and done, I still have to eat! Once I get a better grasp of what all my expenses are for the fall, then I can hopefully spend a little more on entertainment.

 

[phoebus13]

I have never really looked into PCI video cards, but is it possible that one of those might improve performance?

...just a thought...

 

[o1die]

You can check newegg or pricewatch for an agp 8x card. You can find them for $40-50. You don't need the 7600gt to play wow. Use whatever directx version comes with the card, or you can download it off microsoft's website. Newegg also sells open box cards for a few dollars less.

 

[m25]

The only rotten part in your config, is your motherboard, not offering you PCI-e or at least AGP 8X needed to run any game decently. So get a cheapo motherboard like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157106
get a cheap card that decently plays WoW and you're done.

 

[I]

Forget absolute max performance with that platform. If that is the goal then just replace it.

With given parts, the video card needs replaced first. IT is not $200-3oo to get a 7600GT unless you live in a very dark corner of the world. Last time I bought one w/rebate it was about $70.

Really though, I would suggest just leaving the system as-is. Being in school is a great time in your life that you won't appreciate till it's over. There's plenty of time to play video games later, you should get out and live some instead of spending limited budget on a video card or system. Just trust me, it is the right choice as some opportunities only come once in a lifetime and buying a new video card/system-parts isn't one of those.

You won't look back in a few years and wish you had played more video games! I'm sure given the forum there are those who disagree, but outside of the forum are plenty who don't. Youth is more precious than you realize, make the most of it.

 

[halbhh]

I like this thought-provoking post about life in college. It's good to think it out some like "I" does.

I played *some* video games in college. Wizardry -- the frist great dungeons and dragons type computer game. And actual video games ($.25 each). But mostly because my roomate and another friend also liked to play, so that it was a fun social thing actually. It wasn't fun playing those games alone. So I played them usually only with friends. We did other stuff --tennis and golf some, etc. So that's my experience.

All that considered, the cheap way to up your performance is to find a cheap video card you can put in that box according to the type it will accept, even something as low as a 6200 (which is pretty low power, but check on the power draw of any card you consider), (look in THG video card review at the end of the article for a general list of all cards by performance). the old 5200 is pretty slow.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/05/01/the_best_gaming_video_cards_for_the_money/page7.html#what_about_this_other_cards

 

[ScottH]

Actually the motherboard is a socket 478. This is the actual motherboard. No frivolous extras to speak of.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?docname=c00058048&dlc=en&lc=en&cc=us

I tried lowering every setting imaginable but no dice. It really isn't a big deal. WOW just seemed a very cheap way to get entertainment while saving money for school this summer.

Thank you everyone for your help.

 

[halbhh]

It *is* possible to build a low cost computer with an ok video card (most important part for gaming), for only $300-$400. One cost is around $90 for an OEM windows xp or vista though. (less likely: If you already own a Windows disk that isn't OEM that's even a possibility at no cost, though you'd have to do a phone call during registration I bet, and I haven't tried this no-cost option in years).

Such a $350 type rig will indeed outperform what you have quite well though, and will be upgradeable, so that you'll have a decent computer at low cost for years.

 

[mundungus]

Some Suggestions that will likely not help but ....

I) Check in your bios to see whether the video output is checked in the AGP or PCI mode.

2) Try moving Video card to different PCI Slot.

3) Install latest drivers for Video card.

4) After Giving up on PCI Graphics, or maybe before hassling with it what so ever, try using the integrated graphics on the machine with the latest drivers.

I had a FX5200 agp card for a while, and while it wasn't the greatest, I never came across a game that it couldn't handle in 640x480, mid to low graphic settings, and as a last resort 16bit color. I guess the PCI interface could restrain things a lot, but try dumbing down the graphics for smooth play. I'm guessing that it should help using the PCI card or the integrated graphics, WoW is pretty accessable to most users across a wide range of crappy hardware.

btw.

Right now you could add a fast P4 processor pretty darn cheap.

 

[halbhh]

mundungus' post is excellent advice for the lowest cost option of all.

After all, in august, and then again even more later in the year or early 2008, you'll be able to buy a good deal more per dollar on a new build.