Desktop Mild Gaming PC

[AKomrade]

Hi. Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but its graphics related, so I kind of assumed ><

I'm a VERY casual gamer buying a new computer with a VERY low budget. I've gone through forums and company sites looking for a "cheap" gaming rig, but nothing comes close to my current budget, so I'm deciding to buy just an everyday computer that can handle low quality FPS games, like Combat Arms or Operation 7, MMOs like Fiesta and computer games, like the original Halo (or even Halo 2) or Need for Speed Most Wanted.

This is my current computer: http://www.notebookreview.com/price/product.asp?productFamilyID=1041&productID=

Yeah, its not the best, but for my first computer and at $125, it was a good idea. I have to run it with the AMD Fuzion for Gaming application running in order to get the game play effect I want on it, and need to turn it off and cool the computer down for up to twenty minutes in order to play lag-free when I turn it on again.

That laptop can play WoW without lag on medium settings for maybe three hours, until things start to melt together, play Operation 7 for about the same time, but on the lowest settings possible and runs Combat Arms at four hours a day at the lowest settings.

As you can probably tell, my standards for games arent exactly high.

I'm buying this http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-inspiron_537s?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs as an "upgrade" to my laptop.

I've learned in my short time playing games that two things matter the most in PC gaming; Your processor and your GFX card (Please correct me if I'm wrong), so I'm looking to upgrade both of these things on the desktop I'm purchasing. My theory is, if I cant have an amazing gaming PC, I can at least have a halfassed one that'll play the games I want without overheating too much, or lagging after a few hours of game play.

Since I'll be replacing the processor and GFX card, nothing on the desktop will be changed from the factory settings, I'll be paying $270 (rounded up), leaving me with $100 to spend.. I KNOW this isnt enough to get a top of the line, amazing graphics/video card or even a good processor, but I'm not looking for that. I'm looking for something that can handle the strain well, provide constantly good FPS (Constant 35+ FPS would be a godsend for me) without blurring the game video or requiring a cooldown time. I'd find this myself, but I have NO idea what any of the technical stuff means, even if this is a simple task and I dont know the industry well enough not to get ripped off on something, so I'm coming to ya'll for help.

Average recommended reqs for the games I play:
Windows XP
pentiumIV 1.8MHz
RAM 512MB
VIDEO 1024X768 32-bit color or higher
HDD 2GByte
geforce4 MX440, ATI Radeon 9200 or higher

Sorry for the verbal diarrhea. If you need any more info about the computer, etc, please ask

 

[Raidur]

If you don't like having heat issues I would suggest staying away from 'Slim' PCs for gaming.

 

[dirtmountain]

Here's a complete system including the site to download Windows7 RC for free (good until March 2010) Less then $370 including shipping.

CPU - Athlonx2 7850 Kuma 2.8GHz $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103678

Motherboard - Asrock 760G $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157153

RAM - 2x2 GB DDR2 800 1.8v $46
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148160

Graphic card - 9600GSO $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121319

Case/ psu combo - Rosewill $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.206157

Hard drive - Western Digital 320 GB SE16- $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136074

Burner - Lite on $28
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106291

Site to download Windows7 RC
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

Total cost including shipping = $368.57 not including a $20 rebate on the GPU.

 

[AKomrade]

WOW! Ok, thanks to both of you!

Question for dirtmountain: I've never put a computer together and I've heard its risky to do so. What can I do and DO I do in order to lessen the risk and install the components properly?

 

[AKomrade]

if you already bough the 537 get this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131151

if not, get the 546 (same PC but much easier to upgrade)
http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/desktop-inspiron-546/pd.aspx?refid=desktop-inspiron-546&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

and then get this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121319

or this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102820

This seems a bit easier to upgrade than building my own computer from scratch. Thanks for the links to the card and the 546. This is the route I'll be taking for the computer, especially since I'm at 4:30 in the video that you poasted and am already getting squeamish about this (carpet floors in almost every room in my house and in every empty space) and I dont have the patience to install all of that.

Thank you very much.

Should I get a better processor for the 546 since the Sapphire card will almost wipe me of cash, or will the processor that comes free with the computer be enough?

 

[jyjjy]

There's nothing risky about putting a computer together. It's really much easier than you might think. The hardest part by far is knowing what parts to get and that's why you are here. If you can use a screw driver you can put together a computer. All you do is put some things in slots on the motherboard, screw the motherboard into the case, connect power cables. That's a simplified version of course but that's what i boils down to. Clearly you are on a budget so it's the obvious way to go. Have some confidence, learn something and at the same time save a few hundred dollars while ending up with a better computer.

 

[belial2k]

Another option to maximize your $$$...buy off ebay from a seller with good feedback. You can get some really good prebuilt dual core systems for under $300. I would never recommend that to an enthusiast, but its perfect for your situation. I don't think we're allowed to link to ebay, if we are I can point out a few options for you.
Another thing you can do to maximize performance on a low budget is lower your resolution....I didn't see you say what monitor you'll be using for the desktop, but if you use a lower resolution your framerates will go up substantially.

 

[AKomrade]

Update:

Thanks to all for your suggstions. I just got the computer in today and am now installing the GFX card. I have a slight hitch: Because it took me so long to get the cash, I wasnt able to buy the Nvidia card suggested to me, so I bought a larger one.. with a power supply that I need to connect to the system power supply. How do I do this? The card I have is a GeForce 9600GSO from ASUS

 

[belial2k]

there is a 6pin power connection from the power supply you need to plug into the card, that is all there is to it....if the power supply does not have a 6 pin connection you can use the adapter that came with the card

 

[AKomrade]

there is a 6pin power connection from the power supply you need to plug into the card, that is all there is to it....if the power supply does not have a 6 pin connection you can use the adapter that came with the card

I keep reading that, but I dont know what it looks like.. >< I know I'm hopeless, but this is killing me. The cord that came with the card looks like this http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Wireless_WiFi/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=04&sku=A1115811

And I've plugged in what I'm guessing is the six pin connector (the small, black plug) into the card, but I cant figure out where the two white ones go.. I'm so sorry ><

 

[belial2k]

it should be obvious which power supply connections meet up with the other end, unless your power supply didn't come with enough 4 pin molex connections...in which case you need to redo your cable management and free up a couple of those 4 pin power supply connections.

 

[AKomrade]

it should be obvious which power supply connections meet up with the other end, unless your power supply didn't come with enough 4 pin molex connections...in which case you need to redo your cable management and free up a couple of those 4 pin power supply connections.

I guess I need to do that.. How do I do it?

Heres a picture of what my computer looks like right now (The 6 pin cord is in the lower left, plugged into my graphics card). http://yfrog.com/07picture005iavj <-- computer

 

[belial2k]

it was a little hard to see, but it looks like that big bundle of cables coming from the power supply has the molex connections you need. Just cut the zip tie holding all those cables together, connect the 4 pin molex connections (they only connect one way, so they are idiot proof), then wrap the cables back up with tape or something to keep them out of the way of your airflow.

 

[AKomrade]

it was a little hard to see, but it looks like that big bundle of cables coming from the power supply has the molex connections you need. Just cut the zip tie holding all those cables together, connect the 4 pin molex connections (they only connect one way, so they are idiot proof), then wrap the cables back up with tape or something to keep them out of the way of your airflow.

Isnt that for the motherboard though? I was going through Youtube videos, and saw that there is a huge cable running from the power supply for the motherboard.. Or is there another cable going through that I cant see?

 

[belial2k]

do not remove the motherboard cable....there should be some 4 PIN connections coming off the power supply someplace...find them and plug them in to the video card cable.

 

[AKomrade]

do not remove the motherboard cable....there should be some 4 PIN connections coming off the power supply someplace...find them and plug them in to the video card cable.

Ok, I think I know what you mean, but to make sure, I labeled the picture. I am I right in thinking you mean the 4 pin molex on the far left?

 

[belial2k]

a 4 pin molex is a 4 pin molex...there is male and female, just plug the male into the female, you can't go wrong because one side is flat and the other is odd shaped so that it can only go together one way...I didn't see the link to the new pic, but really, if you found the molex cables from the power supply just plug them in, you can't go wrong.

 

[AKomrade]

The thing is, they're already plugged in.. If you look directly below the power supply (where the brown and black wires are running to.) in the picture I posted earlier, thats where its plugged in. Heres the picture (reedited) that I thought I had posted http://img41.imageshack.us/i/picture005hfl.jpg/

 

[belial2k]

okay, I really can't see it well enough, but as I said, it should be obvious which connections from the power supply fit the cable coming from the video card. One has boy parts, the other has the girl parts and they easily fit together. If you cannot find any 4 pin connections coming off the power supply that look like they fit, I'll take your word for it, although I don't understand why that PSU wouldn't have them. Now what you need is an adapter to change the flat connector I can see coming from the power supply to 4 pin molex connections. Although, to be honest, any power supply that doesn't have molex connections and/or a 6 pin pci connection probably should be replaced.

 

[AKomrade]

okay, I really can't see it well enough, but as I said, it should be obvious which connections from the power supply fit the cable coming from the video card. One has boy parts, the other has the girl parts and they easily fit together. If you cannot find any 4 pin connections coming off the power supply that look like they fit, I'll take your word for it, although I don't understand why that PSU wouldn't have them. Now what you need is an adapter to change the flat connector I can see coming from the power supply to 4 pin molex connections. Although, to be honest, any power supply that doesn't have molex connections and/or a 6 pin pci connection probably should be replaced.

Well, its a Dell, but thats not really an excuse.. More like a cynical outlook on the failure of a company. I'm going to go out and look for a SATA/4 Pin adapter tomorrow, so thank you for the time you've spent on this and I'll post something when I manage to get it to work. Thank you again.

And what should I look for in terms of an adapter? Is there both male and female?

 

[belial2k]

what you have should be male, so you need the double female, like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226018

 

[AKomrade]

what you have should be male, so you need the double female, like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226018

Thanks! I was waiting until I ordered the part to post. I'll post again when it gets here and is installed.

 

[AKomrade]

Ok, I hooked the card up to the power source about a week ago and its doing great! I have incredible FPS on all the games I play, and it turns out, Vista isnt as bad as I thought it'd be. Thanks guys!

 

[belial2k]

I'm glad to hear it all worked out! Vista got a really bad rap, but since sp1 it has been as solid as any windows OS. I think the two things that really hurt it at first were people trying to run it on old systems without enough power, and some people just hate change and wanted it to act just like xp.