Yet Another Build-a-Gaming-PC Out of Closet Gear Thread

[cinead]

I found an older computer at work and I want to see if I can turn it into a gaming machine that beats my laptop.

My laptop:
Dell Inspiron e1705
Intel Dual-Core T2400 1.83 GhZ
4 GB RAM
256 MB ATI Mobility X1400
17" screen

The candidate:
Gigabyte 8I865GME-775 Motherboard
Intel P4 524 3066 MHz (1024 kB L2, 133.3 MhZ QDR FSB)
AGP 8x Slot
3 PIC 32-bit Slots
1 GB RAM
350W Power Supply

The task:
If I upgrade the RAM and get the best video card that will fit into the AGP 8x slot, can I beat the performance on my laptop for older games like Stronghold, Rome: Total War, and Oblivion? What video card would I get? (I might be interested in playing some newer games as well)

If not, then I need to get a new motherboard. What would be the least expensive MB that can take advantage of DirectX 10 or 11? And which video card would I get with it?

Many thanks to any hardware gurus who can help me out.

 

[Proximon]

That Gigabyte motherboard does support later CPUs, but given the lack of PCI-E and the 2GB memory limit it's not worth it.
You would need a new MB, CPU, and RAM. This list would be about the best deal:

■GIGABYTE GA-78LMT-S2P AM3+ AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
■SAPPHIRE 100326DDR3L Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
■AMD Gift - Software Download Coupon
■G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT
■AMD Athlon II X2 260 Regor 3.2GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX260OCGMBOX
TOTAL: $244.67

But that leads me to your PSU. It may be inadequate and will need to be evaluated. Please give the brand and model of the 350W PSU.

 

[bacat]

I apologize for the delayed response, I was out of town and the bookmark was on my home laptop. Thanks for the input! The price seems right.

I am at work currently so I can't look up the manufacturer and model of the PS, but I'll do so when I get home.

If I go with the setup you've mentioned here, will I be top-of-the-line video card or somewhere in between? Could you give a suggestion from 1-10 (10 being state of the art retail cards) for what this card can do? I'm just curious.

As long as it can use Shader 3.0 I'll be able to play Battleground Europe though. So that sounds good.

 

[Proximon]

A 6670 is on the low side of mid-range. Most suited to smaller monitors, say 1680x1050 or lower.

This article will give you the info you need:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-gaming-performance,3042.html

 

[bacat]

Ok, my power supply is a POWMAX ATX Switching PS Model No. LP-8800C
DC Output 350W

Output +5V/30A
-12V / 0.8A
-5V/0.3A
+12V / 25A
+3.3V / 28A
+5Vsb/2.0A


Should I get a 500W supply?

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

 

[Proximon]

You should get a new power supply as a priority. That one is completely unsuitable to a modern system.

If you use the promo code this is a good deal, especially after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

This one as well.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035

then you won't have to select a GPU based on power consumption also.