Will my pc handle MMO (WAR/CoD4) will it over-heat??

[gcranium1]

This build isnt exactly what i wanted but i bought from dell because of insane deal
Here is the main parts i'm concerned with:

q9550 2.83 quad core
hd 3650 256 mb
8gbs of ddr2 800mhz ram
x-fi xtreme gamer sound card
and internal wireless n
windows vista premium 64b

The computer, monitor, speakers, etc still being shipped in the mail
Will the pc be able to handle CoD4 and Warhammer online smoothly without lagg....?
I'm also worried about the internal heat ruining my pc
Yes dell should have designed it properly to run fine stock
but i dont know if i'm going to need a case fan, cpu fan, etc...
of course it will help but do i need?
My main question is, ( i know my gpu sucks di**) will this pc run fine for games... excluding crysis

 

[jerreece]

Wow 8GB of RAM. More than you need for sure!! Only limitation there is the video card. That HD 3650 256MB is a little behind the curve. Better to look into a 512MB video card, and probably something newer generation.

You could run CoD4 and Warhammer Online, but you'll be forced to use reduced settings and resolutions. Not only is that video card an older generation, it was the budget version of the 3000 series ATI cards.

Find yourself a good deal on a 4850 or 4870. Then you'll be cooking along quite nicely.

As far as over-heating goes... depends more on the case and the cooling fans inside it. Your components alone can't really answer that question.

EDIT: By the way. Try to hook up your ethernet cable rather than using that internal Wireless. Especially if you're gaming, the bandwidth and reliability over wireless isn't your best option.

 

[dobby]

you would do much better to put off the X fi (unleess your an audiophile like me, and then i would still prefer an external card) and scrap 4Gb of that ram, and with any money left, get an hd4850

and yes it will run those game but your gonna get a strong bottleneck on the graphics card

 

[Zorg]

You should load the cores with Prime95 small FFTs while monitoring temps with Core Temp or Real Temp.

Dell has historically had really crappy BIOSs that would not give you control of the fan speed and also set it too low, in order to be quiet. You can use SpeedFan to monitor the CPU fan speeds and set a fan profile that won't cook your CPU or deafen you at idle.

As far as the VGA, ATITool will allow you to monitor temps at idle and under load with its built in stress tester. It will also allow you to set up a fan profile to raise the fan speed incrementally. Be careful with it as you can damage your VGA if you mess with the OCing or turn the fan off. It's not brain surgery, just make sure you know what you are doing. PM me if you need help with it.

That's pretty much it on the heat front.


I should add, even though you aren't overclocking the Core 2 Quad and Duo Temperature Guide is a good read and will let you know where you stand on temps.

Enjoy

 

[Shadow703793]

^ Well said! Go with RealTemp not CoreTemp, or better yet calibrate it according to the C2D Temp guide.

 

[Onus]

Guild Wars will run fairly well on a 3650, but those other games are somewhat more demanding.
The stock PSU in that system may limit the video card you can add. At the very least, you can get a 4670 (for about $70-$80). That still isn't a fantastic card, but it is some 7 tiers higher on Cleeve's chart than the 3650.
Choose one such as the HIS that is a dual-slot design that exhausts its heat from your case.
Of course, if it is at least 450W and has enough amperage on its +12V rail(s), you might manage a 4830 or 4850.

 

[Zorg]

Well said about the PSU upgrade. I think PC P&C has the correct form factor.