Nvidia 420 + lg 23' - Any help on Res and Fps.

[ba11s0fsteel]

Hello I just recently purchased a prebuilt computer from futureshop.

A gateway i7 2600 @3.4
8 gigs of ram
and an nvidia geforce 420
not sure what the psu is but I assume it's 400-500 with these computers.

Everything should be updated, including my graphics card drivers which I just updated yesterday.

I had also purchased a larger screen i believe a23' monitor a while back so I automatically assumed that this would run my games at max resolution without anybody telling me along the way that resolution affects your graphics preformance. I've had the computer now for a few weeks and up until recently, had it plugged into my lcd tv which looked fine. Brought it down and plugged it into my 23 inch and was astonished to find out this card preforms poorly running at max resolution 1920x1080. I just installed rift and it meets the recommended system requirements but these games never have a recommended resolution on the back...
Even at bare minimum graphics i still get SOME frame lag on some games at 1920x1080.

I have the money to buy a new smaller monitor or graphics card to support this LG monitor but I'm assuming I'll just go with a new cheap smaller monitor. Bottom line is I want to play at ultra settings with most games, with some AA if possible... from what I have read the nvidia 420 doesn't preform so highly at this resolution. wow! ok? I guess i just screwed myself out of 1000 dollars for this rig. cool.

I was wondering if anybody had any advice with any smaller resolutions that might look good on this monitor with my current setup, or whether or not I'll have to downgrade my monitor... : / or anything else that I might have missed...

thanks so much in advance.

 

[phos]

Well I would say that it is something wrong with the card. It should be enough to drive both a screen that size and the game. Have you tried to switch to a diffrent card?? That way you can check if it is the card or something else that is at fault.

 

[ba11s0fsteel]

my computer should be more than sufficient to run it on at least medium to high rather than minimum graphic settings on a 23', maybe not with AA but.. this is what is confusing me. I'm pretty sure it's the monitor.. basically just wondering what size of monitor is best for what native resolution, and if i can play some of these games like warcraft, rift and newer games on fairly high graphic settings on maybe a 19-20' screen on it's max resolution.

 

[ba11s0fsteel]

is there any other way to test my gpu somehow, and eliminate possibilities other than switching out my card?

 

[tajisi]

is there any other way to test my gpu somehow, and eliminate possibilities other than switching out my card?

Your GPU is not defective. The GT420 has 48 shader cores, which isn't a lot by modern standards (most midrange cards have 120+ shaders), and can't keep up with the pace of a high end game. This isn't factoring issues like memory bandwith, which isn't exactly flying on that card.

In this case you have an excellent CPU crippled by a weaker GPU that is bottlenecking your performance. If you go with something higher end (say a Geforce 450 that has 192 cores on it) you would notice a drastic improvement. Even a $100 card would easily quadruple your performance at that resolution and let your CPU shine more.

A good rule of thumb regarding Nvidia cards is usually if the family place name (second number, 2x0, 4x0, 8x00, 9x00 etc) is below a five or six it's not geared up for gaming.

 

[ba11s0fsteel]

Best answer selected by ba11s0fsteel.

 

[ba11s0fsteel]

gg. I'm assuming it doesn't have the psu to handle a gpu of that capacity. So I'll probably end up buying and upgrading both things. I like how this time I specifically asked about the specs and psu in the computer, and the guy even tricked me by saying I could play games on it. I wonder if I bitch and complain enough, they'll give me a refund? I wasn't satisfied, and he pretty much may have well just lied to me, than bend the truth like that. When I say I want a computer for gaming, they may as well assume I'm going to be expecting the best hardware per performance for my dollar, even giving me comparisons. Good thing I only paid about 1000... for a few hundred more I could probably run any game at max on max resolution if I had built it myself. In bloody fact, even in buying a monitor for example, they'll tell you the specs but not even ask what your using it for? Why not tell people the difference not only in specs but in performance on everything, especially when it's such a big issue with PC for gaming? Bottom line is be patient and build it yourself.

Thanks a lot for the help!

 

[tajisi]

gg. I'm assuming it doesn't have the psu to handle a gpu of that capacity. So I'll probably end up buying and upgrading both things. I like how this time I specifically asked about the specs and psu in the computer, and the guy even tricked me by saying I could play games on it. I wonder if I bitch and complain enough, they'll give me a refund? I wasn't satisfied, and he pretty much may have well just lied to me, than bend the truth like that. When I say I want a computer for gaming, they may as well assume I'm going to be expecting the best hardware per performance for my dollar, even giving me comparisons. Good thing I only paid about 1000... for a few hundred more I could probably run any game at max on max resolution if I had built it myself. In bloody fact, even in buying a monitor for example, they'll tell you the specs but not even ask what your using it for? Why not tell people the difference not only in specs but in performance on everything, especially when it's such a big issue with PC for gaming? Bottom line is be patient and build it yourself.

Thanks a lot for the help!

That happens a lot more commonly than you might think. A lot of companies will sell a computer with a good CPU and cripple performance with a lesser GPU. You can check your PSU specs by the little sticker that should be on it inside your case. If it has a good enough wattage and amps rating (most 600 - ish watt PSUs or better should), you can upgrade as long as it has a GPU plug.

If power is a concern, you might look at a Geforce 250, a Geforce 450, or something like the AMD Radeon 5770. These tend to draw less power than other cards in their series and still offer decent framerates. This will keep you in close to the $100 upgrade range if he doesn't work with you or refund your money. As I said, you have a good CPU and just need a good GPU to make the most of it.

In any case you're welcome. I hope you get it worked out. ^^

 

[ba11s0fsteel]

hey. kind of screwed myself over without doing any research without buying anything. nevertheless they basically lied to my face, i went there today and said i was SOL. So I plan on contacting the manufact. to find out if i can upgrade this computer. obviously this will void the warranty, but I'd rather do that than be crippled.

was just wondering if anybody knew any decent lower resolutions that might look decent on a 23' lcd.