Another Call of Duty 4 PC spec thread

mrdeucin

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Hey everyone! :hello:

This is my first time posting on this site and I'm hoping for some feedback on what I'm planning to do w/ my current setup. I'm planning to install Call of Duty 4 but I'm lacking something on the horsepower department. Here are the specs on my current setup.

Old:
- Coolermaster Wavemaster Case
- ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe Motherboard
- Pentium 4 Socket 478 2.4 Ghz Processor w/ HT
- 2 x 512 Corsair XMS 3200PRO Ram w/ LED
- 2 HDD (60 gig main) and (200 gig secondary)
- 4 Case Fans - 2 x exhaust / 2 x intake
- ATI Radeon 128MB 9800 Pro OEM AGP Video Card
- Windows XP SP2

What I plan on replacing:
- Intel Pentium 4 3.0E Prescott 3.0GHz Socket 478 89W Single-Core Processor
- Replacing OEM CPU fan w/ ZALMAN 9500A 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
- G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel
- Replacing old exhaust fan w/ Thermaltake A1357 80mm Case Fan (w/ temperature sensor)
- XFX GeForce 7900GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X Video Card
- Windows XP SP2

I'm not really a hardcore gamer and I really don't need a brand new setup right now. My current one handles everything just fine and I don't plan on over-clocking it. I know COD4 is a graphically a pretty demanding game but I was hoping w/ these upgrades I can at least somewhat hang in there w/ the big boys. Please, give me your 2 cents and any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you fellas! :D

P.S. - One of my friends suggested that I can mix and match RAMs? Is this recommended? Is it okay if i put my 2 x 512MB Corsair XMS w/ the 2 x 1GB G.SKILL Ram? Both are PC3200 but will they have some conflicting issues? Thanks again.

- RL
 

Ken168

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Sep 18, 2007
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I'm sure that set up will work.

I'm using Athlon 64 3000+ venice (default 1800mhz) with Geforce 7800GT, CoD4 running fine on 1600x1050 res (1gb RAM).

cheers,
 

cadmanx

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Yes you can mix and match ram, if it boots up then there is nothing to worry about. You should not have any conflicting issues. Again, the motherboard will let you know if it likes the ram, otherwise it wont boot. I personally could not live different size ram in my PC. Would bother my conscience. :lol:

FYI: You can even mix and match ram speeds, the only thing that will happen is all your RAM will run at the speed of your slowest RAM.

What you do have to worry about is making sure the RAM sticks have the same voltage requirement.
 

babybudha

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It would be nice if your first post was to give information, or help someone. I can't stand it when people only post when they need help.
 

mrdeucin

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Ken168 & cadmanx -

Thanks guys for your 2 cents! I really appreciate it! Anyone else??

babybudha -

I apologize and I didn't know that there was such a guideline that was required for my first post. My friend recommended me here to ask other tech heads about my dilemma. Hopefully in the future I can contribute/chime in something that may be of use for the Tom's Hardware community.
 

mrdeucin

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According to newegg:

The Corsair specs:
Cas Latency - 3
Timing - 3-3-3-8
Voltage - 2.6V

The G.SKILL specs:
Cas Latency - 2.5
Timing - 2.5-3-3-6
Voltage - 2.6V - 2.75V

It almost has the same voltage requirement. I'm going to order the G.SKILL on my next paycheck. Im crossing my fingers that my computer does accept it. lol. Thanks again bro!!

- RL
 

mrdeucin

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Hahaha! None taken bro! Thanks for the heads up though. We all got our dark days.
 

cadmanx

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No prob. One more thing, if your comp doesnt boot up right away, try everything possible including, removing old ram and leaving the new sticks, checking, then installing old ram etc. before giving up. Sometimes the comp will only boot up initially with 1 stick, depends. Gskill is usually pretty good, just make sure it has good reviews if your ordering from newegg :)
 

mrdeucin

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^ Thanks cadmanx! I'm pretty much set on G.SKILL and planning on ordering it from newegg very soon. While I was looking for a replacement for my aging ATI 9800 Radeon graphics card, I found a few possible AGP gems that caught my interest. I'm still debating between the ATI X1950 Pro, Geforce 7900GS, or the new upcoming ATI 2600XT HD AGP card (w/ direct x 10 capability). I don't think the direct x 10 feature will be of use since I don't plan on upgrading to vista anytime soon. So far from what I read, the ATI 2600XT HD has features that surpasses both cards but it doesn't necessarily translate on the gaming aspect of things. I read that the 2600XT is more adaptable to newer games but in certain games the X1950 Pro outshines it. I've seen mixed reviews regarding the Geforce 7900gs. Which video card do you think will better compliment w/ the upgrades I'm planning to make? Which graphic card do you guys think can handle games such the likes of COD4, Crysis, Bioshock, and etc?