Gaming Rig

[P-Rife]

So with Christmas here friends and family are asking me what I want for the holidays. I'm leaning towards improving my rig and want some input on what upgrades would be most useful. My existing rig

Dell Dimension E530 Case (Mini-BTX I think)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (fastest processor my mobo can handle)
Stock Dell Dimension mobo
4GB RAM DDR2 1033
GeForce GT430 1GB DDR3 graphics card
Sound Blast XiFi soundcard
Stock dell 350W Power Supply
Win 7 32bit OS
Razer Naga Mouse
Steel Series Merc Stealth Keyboard
Turtle Beach X-11 Headset.

I was thinking of a 60-120GB Solid State Drive since my "Windows Experience" low score was data transfer rate (5.7 I think) and I read the only way to get that score up was a SSD. My other thought is going 64bit Windows and increasing my RAM to 8 or 16GB (have to check what my board can handle). Last option was pure cosmetic and get a nice looking case with a 500W power supply but then I'll need a new Mobo since dell boards don't like normal cases.

Or should I say screw it all and ask for game time cards or cash for cartel coins?

[Gryffon Etheras]

Another 4GB of RAM combined with x64 windows (to access it) will probably give you the greatest single upgrade. An SSD would assist in that (Hard drive read speeds are quickly becoming the primary bottleneck)... I just ordered one (great holiday deals on SSD's if you can catch them!) and will report back on how much it effected my SWTOR loading times and general performance .

[Taenn]

Just received my Ram package and will install SSD. Going from 8gb from 4 I believe will increase tremendously not too mention changing to SSD will be quite the marvel

[Dordrac]

You could probably use a better GPU. Any GPU from Nvidia that has the last two digits of the model <60 is generally pretty low end and not designed for gaming. If you got a 460/560/660 Gpu that would improve your performance a ton. However, since you're looking for a better deal, I'd probably not get an Nvidia card, AMD's prices have always been better on the mid-range cards.

You could also get a decent AMD card for fairly cheap (AMD 7870 would be a little expensive but it's more powerful than my card currently that I paid $400 for. One of those would run you around $240.) Along with Ram, this will actually be by far the best upgrade you could make, as the Gpu you have is fairly weak.

FYI, about the data transfer rate, I don't actually have an SSD, and the game runs fine for me (60 fps almost everywhere except Ilum back in the day of course), and my data transfer score was around the same. The main thing this will improve is loading times (and my loading times are not bad, maximum of like 35 seconds on Belsavis etc.)

Of course, you might need a new power supply if you get a new GPU.

[gluefoot]

Dordrac wrote:

You could probably use a better GPU. Any GPU from Nvidia that has the last two digits of the model <60 is generally pretty low end and not designed for gaming. If you got a 460/560/660 Gpu that would improve your performance a ton. However, since you're looking for a better deal, I'd probably not get an Nvidia card, AMD's prices have always been better on the mid-range cards. You could also get a decent AMD card for fairly cheap (AMD 7870 would be a little expensive but it's more powerful than my card currently that I paid $400 for. One of those would run you around $240.) Along with Ram, this will actually be by far the best upgrade you could make, as the Gpu you have is fairly weak. FYI, about the data transfer rate, I don't actually have an SSD, and the game runs fine for me (60 fps almost everywhere except Ilum back in the day of course), and my data transfer score was around the same. The main thing this will improve is loading times (and my loading times are not bad, maximum of like 35 seconds on Belsavis etc.) Of course, you might need a new power supply if you get a new GPU.

I've got the 550Ti 2GB. It's from EVGA but the drivers are still Nvidia. I only have 4GB ram though, but that's not what I find to be the problem. I have a 2.6 dual-core intel that I intend to upgrade, maybe my hard drive as well from what Gryffon said. There's only so much you need.

I'm not sure what I can get for a 775 socket though.

[Miraluka Soran]

Based on your current rig in order or priority I would say:
1. x64 Windows(x64 Linux[Ubuntu for a user friendly first linux distro] with WINE is a cheaper option and you could run it dual boot as an exclusive gaming OS, however I'm not sure if anyone ever got WINE working with SWTOR)
2. RAM, 8GB minimum and watch your clock speeds on it, run the fastest your mobo can handle
3. Vid Card, alot of guys like the nVidia and there is nothing wrong with that, I'm an AMD guy myself. The 6870 series is faster than the 7850 so watch your numbers when you are buying if you go AMD. In AMD the higher number within each series (6xxx, 7xxx) is the speed of the card, a lower series can be faster with a higher model # ex. 1GB 6870 is faster than a 1GB 7850, in same texel processing situations, however the 7850 can handle a larger number of processes better. With regard to vid cards there is a lot of difference between a couple numbers, you'd be well advised to check benchmarks www.hwcompare.com allows you to compare any 2 cards side-by-side.

[P-Rife]

The more I look into everyones suggestions the more I realize I'll save my money and buy a new barebones kit next year. My mobo (from 2005) has 4 slots for DDR2 RAM but max per slot is 1GB so moving to 64bit OS doesn't gain me anything. In order to upgrade my graphics card I need a new power supply but the dimensions and connectors of the Dell case prevents me from just dropping a new one in. I've seen I3 kits with 8GB DDR3 RAM in the 2-300 range that include processor, mobo, case, RAM, and powersupply. If I save longer I might be able to afford the i5 or i7 kits. Thanks for all the input and explaining AMD's graphic card numbering systems, I always got confused on which is better.

[Gryffon Etheras]

Reporting back in... SSD gave me increased framerates, but my framerates were already more than high enough. Unfortunately though, Load Times are still longer than I'd like. There's a noticeable speed increase, but not enough to make it not an inconvenience . My best guess is that there's some client-server communication going on for about 30-40seconds, but that's just a guess.

Based on my two days with an SSD, I wouldn't recommend upgrading to one JUST for SWTOR if you already have good framerates. Everything else kicks ass though (Skyrim loading times are almost nonexistent).

[Nwahs]

travisccook wrote:

Reporting back in... SSD gave me increased framerates, but my framerates were already more than high enough. Unfortunately though, Load Times are still longer than I'd like. There's a noticeable speed increase, but not enough to make it not an inconvenience . My best guess is that there's some client-server communication going on for about 30-40seconds, but that's just a guess. Based on my two days with an SSD, I wouldn't recommend upgrading to one JUST for SWTOR if you already have good framerates. Everything else kicks ass though (Skyrim loading times are almost nonexistent).

Cool, thanks so much for this info! Just saved me like $150

[P-Rife]

gluefoot wrote:

I've got the 550Ti 2GB. It's from EVGA but the drivers are still Nvidia. I only have 4GB ram though, but that's not what I find to be the problem. I have a 2.6 dual-core intel that I intend to upgrade, maybe my hard drive as well from what Gryffon said. There's only so much you need. I'm not sure what I can get for a 775 socket though.

I was able to put an intel core 2 quad Q6600 in my system, that was the max i could do and I had to update my bios to pull it off

[P-Rife]

Dordrac wrote:

You could probably use a better GPU. Any GPU from Nvidia that has the last two digits of the model <60 is generally pretty low end and not designed for gaming. If you got a 460/560/660 Gpu that would improve your performance a ton. However, since you're looking for a better deal, I'd probably not get an Nvidia card, AMD's prices have always been better on the mid-range cards. You could also get a decent AMD card for fairly cheap (AMD 7870 would be a little expensive but it's more powerful than my card currently that I paid $400 for. One of those would run you around $240.) Along with Ram, this will actually be by far the best upgrade you could make, as the Gpu you have is fairly weak. FYI, about the data transfer rate, I don't actually have an SSD, and the game runs fine for me (60 fps almost everywhere except Ilum back in the day of course), and my data transfer score was around the same. The main thing this will improve is loading times (and my loading times are not bad, maximum of like 35 seconds on Belsavis etc.) Of course, you might need a new power supply if you get a new GPU.

Took your advice and got a 500W power supply and an AMD 7770 which after gift cards and coupons I paid $0.66 out of pocket. Should have the new equipment by Wednesday at the latest.

[Miraluka Soran]

Awesome GPU choice, any Radeon xx70 is a great card for gaming. I'm a big time fan of AMD>nVidia but a lot of guys have success with both.

[P-Rife]

The 7770 was the size of a VW Bug and won't fit in the case. Stupid Dell put the PCI Express slot right below the USB ports in the back of the case and the CPU cooling housing in the back so a double slot card won't fit. Found a 6770 single slot I can get after I send this one back and get the refund.

The 500W PSU is quieter then the 305 I was running and has many more power options for expansion.

[Dordrac]

Oh dang, that sucks. Yeah, I remember having a Gateway once, had a similar issue with their cases. That's why I won't use anything but a full sized tower now, one I have right now can fit 3 double slot cards if I want on my motherboard, but I can't afford it (Only have one card atm).

[P-Rife]

Got the card and realized that the DVI would not convert to an analog signal with a passthrough DVI/VGA adapter. So I bought a new monitor too. I think my system is min/maxed without moving to a new motherboard and case. Next purchase will be a whole new system.