Pentium 4 gaming

[accusedhorse]

I have this old computer and well it has a Pentium 4 and im planning to get this video card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133391 and well i want to know if I get the video card will I be able tol play games like call of duty 4 and mw2 and bad company 2 on it along with games like TF2 and CSS. I have 4 gb of DDR2 ram and i am wondering if my computer can handle those games with out lag at reasonable resolutions. Will it lagg or should I save up for a new computer?

 

[Russosaur]

I would recommend saving up for a new computer with at least a dual core CPU, I think you could get away playing cod4 and maybe mw2, BFBC2 is out of the question i think that game is to CPU intensive. Your system sounds a good 5+ years old just my thoughts. Maybe someone can confirm this...

 

[hunter315]

Many old P4 systems do not have PCI-E slots, open up your machine and confirm that it does have a PCI-E 16x slot or you wont be able to install the card.

The GT 240 isnt a good gaming card, but can handle things on lower settings which is about what the P4 might be able to keep up with, but you will probably still lag and stutter in CPU intensive parts.

 

[Russosaur]

Many old P4 systems do not have PCI-E slots, open up your machine and confirm that it does have a PCI-E 16x slot or you wont be able to install the card.

The GT 240 isnt a good gaming card, but can handle things on lower settings which is about what the P4 might be able to keep up with, but you will probably still lag and stutter in CPU intensive parts.

He has a PCI-E 16x slot I believe, I'm his buddy he showed me a picture taken from a toaster (that bad quality) I thought I saw a PCI-E slot. Not sure tho, maybe he will upgrade his toaster to calculator then I can confirm.....

 

[4745454b]

Nearly all boards that handle DDR2 and a P4 have PCIe slots, IF they have a GPU slot at all. There were a few transition boards, but odds are that if he has DDR2, he has PCIe.

GT240 is a good card for the P4. Probably the max GPU that a P4 can keep up with.

 

[gmaster456]

COD4 and MW2 might run but Bad Company 2 doesn't stand a chance. The 240 is a good GPU to pair up with your CPU though. Anything more than that and the Pentium 4 won't be able to keep up.

 

[jaguarskx]

Just be aware that many modern games list a dual core CPU as the minimum requirement.

 

[gnomio]

That card will bottleneck a P4.
Try this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127538

 

[Russosaur]

Wouldn't most things bottleneck a P4? I think the one he posted should be adequate, also if he buys a new computer he will have something better then the onboard graphics assuming they are bad.

 

[gmaster456]

That card will bottleneck a P4.
Try this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127538

That card is weak, even for a Pentium 4. The GT240 is more than adequate and will perform MUCH better for a measly $2 over the 8400gs. Even if it was a bottleneck, getting the 240 would still be a no brainer.

 

[gnomio]

That card is weak, even for a Pentium 4. The GT240 is more than adequate and will perform MUCH better for a measly $2 over the 8400gs. Even if it was a bottleneck, getting the 240 would still be a no brainer.

It wont bottleneck his cpu. He will get the same fps with both. A faster card wont help much when it has to wait 10 yrs for the cpu
Even the ATi Radeon HD 3850 AGP bottlenecks a p4

 

[ewood]

It wont bottleneck his cpu. He will get the same fps with both. A faster card wont help much when it has to wait 10 yrs for the cpu
Even the ATi Radeon HD 3850 AGP bottlenecks a p4

you mean the 3850 AGP is bottlenecked by the P4... not the otherway around

 

[whooleo]

check if your motherboard is a socket LGA 775 board, if it is check if you can upgrade to a Core 2 Duo.

 

[4745454b]

check if your motherboard is a socket LGA 775 board, if it is check if you can upgrade to a Core 2 Duo.

Not quite true. A socket 775 with a 915, 925, and 955 chipset won't run any C2Ds. Some 945 boards were given support later. Then of course you have the famous 680i boards which can run many C2Ds, but none of the 45nm C2Qs. Just because it will fit in the socket doesn't mean you can run it.

He will probably have some bottlenecking with a GT240 and a P4. We still have no idea which P4 he has. If we are dealing with a P4 that has a PCIe slot, I still think the lower end and midrange cards like the GT240 or 5570 would be fine.

 

[gnomio]

you mean the 3850 AGP is bottlenecked by the P4... not the otherway around

yeah that's what I meant sorry

 

[homefellas87]

For most games, the recommended cpu is quite a ways down from "top of the line." The only games that truely benifit from a high level cpu is AI intensive games like Warcraft 3 when you've got 8 computers all at their unit limit. If you don't play that type of game, the cpu is really of little importance, a mid-level one will do just as good. Now yes, the cpu will affect the end framerate of the video card. There are some video processes that are sent to the cpu, but unless you're getting towards the lower end stuff, you won't notice it.

 

[4745454b]

Totally disagree with homefellas. Yes you don't need a 2500k to play video games, but you need more then a P4 these days as well. A true dual core is the minimum for more, a C2D/C2Q is really what you want AT LEAST. At least for the current generation games.

 

[KillerBee]

I run gta4 on low with a p4 2.66ghz and a hd 5450 with playable fps , so just a upgrade to a good two core processor can do wonders if u are on a budget

 

[4745454b]

What resolution? What are "playable fps"? Technically speaking I can play TF2 on my laptop. (GMA900 or something like that I think.) But I need to drop it down to 800x600 and turn everything off/low. And even then it stutters sometimes causing me to die.

 

[gamerk316]

BC2 has no chance of running on a P4, period. Its sad this is even a debate.

 

[whooleo]

minimum system requirements for BC2 is Pentium D @ 3GHz or Core 2 Duo @ 2.GHz and you should still check if your mobo supports Core 2. @ 4745454: thats why I said check he never said what chipset he had so we don't know and the newer chipsets can also run P4s.

 

[4745454b]

I didn't see the second check. I saw you write,

check if your motherboard is a socket LGA 775 board, if it is you can upgrade to a Core 2 Duo.

That second check (and the word if) really changes things. Sorry.

MINIMUM CPU for BC2 is a P4D @ 3GHz. A HT P4 like the Northwood or Preshott chips won't cut it.

Edited to fix quote.

 

[Russosaur]

check if your motherboard is a socket LGA 775 board, if it is check if you can upgrade to a Core 2 Duo.

Not quite true. A socket 775 with a 915, 925, and 955 chipset won't run any C2Ds. Some 945 boards were given support later. Then of course you have the famous 680i boards which can run many C2Ds, but none of the 45nm C2Qs. Just because it will fit in the socket doesn't mean you can run it.

He will probably have some bottlenecking with a GT240 and a P4. We still have no idea which P4 he has. If we are dealing with a P4 that has a PCIe slot, I still think the lower end and midrange cards like the GT240 or 5570 would be fine.

I think its clocked at like 3 or 3.1GHz, I teamviewed his computer earlier.

 

[pell380]

my answer will be short

new games require at least core 2 duo or quad core with medium level cards like 5670 or gts 450

so your step will not be good bcz gt 240 will be a good choice for core 2 duo or quad core but not for the pentium 4 :-(

 

[accusedhorse]

check if your motherboard is a socket LGA 775 board, if it is check if you can upgrade to a Core 2 Duo.

Not quite true. A socket 775 with a 915, 925, and 955 chipset won't run any C2Ds. Some 945 boards were given support later. Then of course you have the famous 680i boards which can run many C2Ds, but none of the 45nm C2Qs. Just because it will fit in the socket doesn't mean you can run it.

He will probably have some bottlenecking with a GT240 and a P4. We still have no idea which P4 he has. If we are dealing with a P4 that has a PCIe slot, I still think the lower end and midrange cards like the GT240 or 5570 would be fine.

OKAY i downloaded CPU-Z and this is what it says
CPU:Intel Pentium 4 531 Prescott
Mainboard: i945P/PL/G/GZ

Maybe this can help you guys out, I think i found a Pentium D on newegg That will work its 34.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116391