What kind of pc to run: CounterStrike GO - Decently?

robbob_70

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hi all.

i've decided to get a pc to play counterstrike global offensive.

but i've read so many conflicting advice around recommended specs..
the Official recommended specs are:

CPU: Dual core Intel or AMD processor
RAM: 1GB for Windows XP, 2GB for Windows Vista/7
Graphics: DirectX 10 compatible 512 MB graphics card, Nvidia 400 series or AMD 5000 series.
Operating system: Windows 7 64-bit
DirectX compatible sound card
6 GB of hard drive space

i've been told to run it on medium specs at a good fps i'd need to spend ~300 pounds {2nd hand}
but where i've been getting confused is the graphics cards..
all the machines i've looked at have had:
2.8gb ; 4.0gb dual {and quad} processors,
4gb + ram e.t.c
but then they tended to have a 20 pound graphics card..
like the: XFX ATI HD 5450

what sort of specs am i really looking at for a stable framerate and average graphics?
i found one computer which seemed good,;
2 x Intel 64-bit Xeon HT 3.6Ghz
4GB Ram
nVidia Quadro FX 1400 128MB PCI-E Graphics card

would that ^ run it well?


much thanks.
i really don't have a clue when it comes to pc hardware.
R
 

robbob_70

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i also have the option of upgrading that ^ nVidia Quadro to one of the following..;


ATi Radeon HD6670 3D Gaming Graphics Card
NVidia GeForce 8800GTX 768M DDR3 Professional 3D Gaming Video Card
NVidia Geforce GT520 1GB Gaming Graphics Card
2GB ATi Radeon HD5450 Gaming Graphics Card
Quadro FX3500 PCI-E 256MB 3D Gaming Video Graphics Card
 

robbob_70

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I'm having to go with what people are labeling as gaming pcs..
so far i've been looking on ebay.. but they all have really cheap Graphics cards.

the minimum price for a designated gaming pc - that isn't on ebay..
seems to be 450 pounds plus.
sadly out of my budget..

does CSGO really require that powerful a machine?

i just don't want to play it with an awful fps.. as it really does ruin the game.



Below is Dinopc's; cheapest gaming pc specs.

CPU:
AMD FX 4100 AM3+

Motherboard:
Asus M5A78L-M/USB3

Memory:
8GB DDR3 1333mhz

Hard Drives:
1TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s

Graphics card:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 1GB

Sound card:
Onboard 7.1 Audio

Case:
Xigmatek Asgard + 400W Xigmatek PSU

is that the sort of machine you need for a smooth CSGO experience..?
sadly i might have to pass if so. ;(
as i was intially hoping to spend around 300 pounds.
 

robbob_70

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i've found one for ~340 pounds.
is this any better?



Intel Pentium E5700, Dual Core (775, 3.00GHz, 2MB Cache) Processor
Standard Heatsink & CPU Fan
ASUS P5G41T-M LX2, 2xDIMM, Max. 8GB, M-ATX Motherboard
ATI HD6750 1GB PCI Express Graphics Card
4GB (2 x 2GB) Mushkin PC10600 1333MHz DDR3 Ram
320GB SATA II Hard Drive
22x Dual Layer DVD +/- Rewriter
Windows 7 Home Premium

thanks
 

robbob_70

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thankyou notresto.

are you sure the AMD Radeon HD 6530D Graphics will cut it - performance wise?

i couldn't find out whether it was 512 or 1gb?



B :p
 

10pies

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the 6530D is the onboard gpu for the A6 processors. They have this cool little trick where you can dedicate however much memory to them as you'd like. Up to 3.99 GB I believe. The AMD onboard gpus are generally more powerful then Intels, but still aren't great by any means.
 

robbob_70

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cheers.
would it be sufficient with the 3.99GB to run CS:GO properly.?
and is that virtual memory that you dedicate to the card?

oh - and theres only one gpu to be worrying about if i'm buying a computer right..
unless i'm stacking them up..?
i.e the onboard - replaces a 'dedicated' graphics card like a; NVIDIA 6600gt
B
 

10pies

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Well its not all about the memory the GPU uses... For example a 6870 and a 6670 both have 1 GB of memory, yet one exceeds the others performance by a very big margin. the 6530D is like a cheap graphics built in the computer. I would recommend you get a better GPU. All prebuilt desktops by a big manufacturer (HP, Dell, etc...) never have good graphics cards in them. You will only find decent graphics cards in custom built desktops, or expensive laptops.
 

robbob_70

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so i'm thinking my best bet is a prebuilt powerfull pc with a cheap onboard gpu.
and then upgrade the gpu.?

my only concern is i tried this before... and there were all sorts of compatibility issues...
driver wise e.t.c
and i wouldn't know where to start in choosing a GPU and motherboard + processor
that all 'work well together'




my other option is to go to a computerfair and get them to help me compile and buy a custom made PC.
which i've done before... but it cost 500 pounds..
which is alot seeing as it fairly quickly became very much obsolete.


thanks for helping.
 

10pies

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Well if you are inexperienced and will absolutely need physical help, then you need to choose your components correctly for the system to be usable for a long while. The cheaper the components, the shorter the lifespan.
 

notresto

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At the price point your talking about, you likely wont be able to build a complete system that is faster than the one I listed. The integrated graphics in that machine is definitely powerful enough for GS:GO, but I wouldn't expect it to run at maxed out settings at 1080p. We're talking med-high settings at 720p it will do..

About buying a cheap system then upgrading the graphics card - this will work, but likely you would have to upgrade the power supply as well, meaning you're going to be spending ~$120 (sorry I don't know how much it would be in the UK of the top of my head) minimum, which puts you over budget.

Pretty much you have 2 options, buy a cheap pre-made now or save up a little more cash and build/buy yourself a better system

If you want a system that won't become obsolete in the next 2 or so years, you're going to have to spend over double what you're talking about... That said, if you build your own ~500 pound system, in a couple years you can plop a new GPU in there to give it a nice boost that will keep it going for awhile