There are better combos with the things he was looking at. Like http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.540792 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.549559 (not a 6870, but similar card).

Okay, let's say I upgrade the power supply and get a new card.

A ) Am I going to kill myself with lightning while figuring out how to install a power supply (let's assume, for the sake of argument, that I'm not a complete idiot)?
B ) How much should I look to spend for a mid-range upgrade? Apparently I need at least a 550w PSU, and my 8800 GT was pretty good, but I'm looking for something that can play ME2, FO3, Oblivion, etc., with reasonable FPS (maybe a better goal would be Cataclysm at max settings).
C ) Would an upgrade be moot considering my CPU, an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ at a whopping 2.0Ghz? If so, how should I prioritize?

Thanks again for the replies!

It's about time to start purchasing, as Black Friday is almost here. Any last minute recommendations on my gaming build would be much appreciated! Here is the wishlist in it's current state: https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=21366948

At this point, upgrading your current PC isn't really advisable. The motherboard in your PC is a socket AM2 which has been outdated for a couple years now. Even if you put a new graphics card in you'll still be bottle necked by your processor (which Oblivion and FO3 rely heavily on). I suppose if you really really wanted to waste money on your computer, just as a band-aid for now, you could get something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102855

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371023

You would at least be able to run games, but that's still an investment of over $100 on a PC that isn't going to last you more than another year or so.

So I'm looking at buying a new rig? If that's the case, what should I expect to spend to get the most bang for my buck? I don't really want to spend any money that isn't worth the performance increase, but I do want the computer to be worth the investment.

I would say that the perfect price to aim for right now is about $750-800, not including monitor.

This is about as much as my PC cost me (mine cost $600 almost exactly, but I reused my graphics card from my old PC).

So that's just for everything inside the case. I'd need to factor in OS, input and output, yes? How much are monitors, and what should I look for in a good one?

Yes, that's just for the case and components. Mouse, keyboard, monitor, they're all extra. A reasonable monitor would run you about $180. Of course, more will get you better, but that's the minimum I would go for a 1920x1080 monitor for a gaming computer.

You can always scale back the price of the computer itself to make room for some components, but getting EVERYTHING for under $800 and having it be worth buying would be tough.

Let's take price out of the equation. Let's just say that I want to buy an all-around excellent gaming rig without paying extra for one component over another when, in practice, I'm not going to notice the difference anyway. What can I expect to pay if I'm starting from scratch, and what advice would you give in terms of hardware to look out for?

I've hit some video card trouble. I own a PNY 8800 GTX video card that's given me problems off and on. It went into storage for a while, and I'm now trying to use it in a new gaming rig. With everything assembled, the monitor recognizes that it's connected to a video card, but when I turn on the PC... no display. There's power going to the video card, the fan is spinning, but absolutely nothing going to my monitor, like I haven't even turned it on. I tried a much older video card (7200 GS) that booted up w/out any problems whatsoever. I'm running a 550W PSU, which should be more than adequate for this video card. Is there something else going on here, or an I looking at a dead card?

Hey everyone, I am looking for a wireless adapter for my PC. Most of them have mixed reviews. Anyone have any known good wireless adapters? Which do you guys think is better? USB, an adapter card, or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156258

My requirements

1)Preferably under $50
2) Wireless N 300mbps
3) If an adapter card, it must be PCI or PCIe-x1

The PC will sit about 30 feet away on a floor above the router.

My router is a Linksys E2000, currently hardwired into for Gb/s speeds. Thanks.

I'd go for something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320048

I've found that the cheaper ones can be just as good as the overpriced Linksys ones. And of course PCI is preferable to USB.

I've had great experience with an Edimax card in the past, though the one I had was one of those old 54mbps ones. Here's a 300mbps one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833315078

I have the E3000 router, so I stuck with the same brand and got this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124389

The whole USB network connection key that the router installation setup created made it easy to configure the adapter for the secured network. I've got 2 of them on desktops 3 rooms, and 25', away from the router.

Before pronouncing the card dead, did you try both DVI connections? Are the drivers up to date (260.99)? The only time I've had a dead card that didn't have an output to the monitor was also not found by the OS- spinning fan but not seen at all.

If the mobo has 2 slots, install both cards, monitor on the 7200, and see if the OS finds the 8800. If not, I'll agree that it's dead.

Technology and prices change all the time. Telling you what to look out for or to consider now may become a bad idea many months from now when you finally get the money. The time to ask "what to buy?" is the time when you're actually ready to buy. So if a new machine is what you want, just focus on saving the money first. About $800 is a good amount to aim for at the very least if you need everything.


Now if you want to make some light upgrades to tie you over with your current system, it can be done to an extent. I took a look at your current system and I see that it is an HP-based one. Baaaaaad idea trying to power the 8800GT with the stock HP power supply. Anyways, the motherboard will take up to an X2 5000+ processor:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00757531&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3339286#N94

These upgrades will get you running pretty well and won't break the bank:

CPU: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=ADO-5000DO&title=AMD-Athlon-X2-Dual-Core-Processor-5000-2-6GHz-AM2-OEM
GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102859
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

A lil over $200. The processor is OEM, meaning no heatsink fan. However, the one that is being used for your X2 3800+ should be the same copper pipe version that the X2 5000+ would use...so should be reusable. Will want to look intohttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007&cm_re=arctic_silver_5-_-35-100-007-_-Productas well to reapply thermal compound. There are excellent instructions on how to apply it all over the internet.

The video card and power supply can be carried over to your new machine later on should you decide to do the major overhaul. I realize there are cards like the Radeon 6850 and 6870 or the GeForce 460 out right now, but the Radeon 5750 is about the most I'd go with a X2 5000+. Up to you if want to tolerate more of a bottleneck with higher end cards. You can always sell the 5750 later to help get a faster card.

I decided to go with this one.



Thanks for your help, I am fine with manually typing the security key. I just needed one with a good reception. And I generally prefer adapter card based ones to USB sticks.

Hrm. That's actually really, really helpful. Thank ye, kind sir.

How would a game like WoW (specifically Cataclysm) fare on a system like that?

WoW has never required much of a powerful system to run the game maxed out...I wouldn't expect this one to either. Based on the system reqs for the game, you will max it out no problems.

Let's say I wanted to skip the CPU upgrade and get the 5750 or the 5770 anyway. How would the 3800+ handle Cataclysm with either of those cards? How about if I decided to overclock the CPU?

On an unrelated note, if I take the heatsink off a CPU, to I have to reapply thermal compound when I put it back on?

Yes. Particles or air bubbles could get in if you don't reapply it.

Well, you'll probably still manage very well considering the particular game. Good luck with overclocking....OEM motherboards found in HP stock systems hardly ever allow much for any sort of overclocking.

And yes, you do have to clean off the old thermal compound, then reapply a new spread before puttin it back on. If you don't, good chance the chip will overheat...or fry.

ive used both USB and internal wireless and i havent noticed any difference. i still get the same download speed and ping times and the USB one doesnt takes up internal space which could be important if your using a cheap case and heat is an issue. its also easier to remove and install if you need to trouble shoot or something.

New thread up:
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1145193-the-community-tech-thread-no-94/