Build Advice Newbie needs help upgrading

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by watersilver, 13 Jun 2011.

  1. watersilver

    watersilver What's a Dremel?

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    I was thinking about upgrading my PC, but I don't know too much about the hardware side of them. This is my dxdiag:

    Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.110408-1633)
    Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
    System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
    System Model: System Product Name
    BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
    Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+ (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
    Memory: 2048MB RAM
    Available OS Memory: 2046MB RAM
    Page File: 1573MB used, 2519MB available
    Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11

    My main goal is video playback. I'm having a bit of problems playing 720p, so running that smoothly would be my main goal. Would getting 1080p cost significantly more?
    Also, although not my main concern, I'm also wondering what I would need to play current gen PC games on decent settings. Obviously, the cheaper the better -- I'm not looking to go overboard.
     
  2. roosauce

    roosauce Looking for xmas projects??

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    Hi watersilver,

    Welcome to the forums.

    Its going to be a bit hard for us to help without a bit more information. I am guessing that you don't have a dedicated graphics card?

    Your system is pretty ancient now, so I think it is going to be hard to get current games running. I think that your motherboard is using an AM2 socket, so there is no way to drop in anything modern.

    Sorting out video playback might be possible by buying a cheap graphics card. They tend to take most of the video processing load, so your CPU shouldn't be a bottleneck. I am thinking something that doesn't need any external power so that we maximise compatability - something like an AMD 5450. That being said, we need to check your motherboard capability/model somehow.

    I suggest that you take the side off your case and post a couple of photos here so that we can take a look. You can also type 'device manager' into your start menu - in there is a list of various components. Click on 'display adapters' and tell us what it says in there.

    I'll try to check back later on, but I'm sure someone else will hop in too.


    Cheers.
     
    Last edited: 13 Jun 2011
  3. Deders

    Deders Modder

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    I used to have no problems playing 1080p with a 3GHz Athlon64x2, 720p shouldn't really be a problem for 2GHz, but maybe a good quality budget video card would help take the load off.
     

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