• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

Girl requires help!

seven317

seven317

seven317

Associate
Joined
14 May 2006
Posts
385
Location
Lincolnshire
Go easy guys;)
I need some help in upgrading my fella's PC, it's basic by comparison to some of yours but he wants a better graphics card. He works away as a contract aircraft engineer and so I'm getting stuck with the legwork!
Here's the specs.

Intel Pentium 4 processor519, 3.06GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB
MS-7046 v1.X MICRO ATX mboard
Intel 915P chipset
2x 1GB PC3200 DDR SDRAM 184pin, DDR400, 128x64
250GB Western Digital S-ATA 150, SuperFast 7200 HD
Nvidia Geforce 6200, 256mb
PCI Express x 16
16 x Multi Standard Dual Layer DVD/CD Writer
DVD Rom drive
192Khz, 24-bit, 8 channel Audio( Intel)
AIR XL Heatpipe Cooler
8 in 1 USB 2 card reader
6 x USB 2.0
2 x Firewire
FSP350-60MDN PSU

Is this enough info?:)
He wants the best this PC will take for photo-editing and playing flight sims and NFS (all) and Call of Duty,Far Cry, Medal of Honour etc.
Photo's
medion83850026ib.jpg

medion83850269zt.jpg

medion83850012lv.jpg


Please help guys, he comes home next week and I need to order it!
He really wants the best that will fit without upgrading anything else, he's buying a top of the range rig next year.
 
I wouldn't suppose you'd know whether the motherboard has AGP or PCI-express?
edit: noticed it's 915P chipset, so it's PCI-e

Additionally, is there any budget involved?

A Radeon X1800XT 256mb or GeForce 7900GT would be an excellent choice :)


Mul
 
Well after a quick google it looks like that motherboard has a PCI-E slot, so the best card you could put in it is an ATI X1900XT-X or an nVidia Geforce 7900GTX. Both of these cards would be bottlenecked by that CPU though - ie: the CPU is a bit weak compared to the top of the range graphics cards. That said - he would be able to take the new graphics card across to a new PC if he built one.

But you don't need 'the best' really. An X1800XT would be a good choice, or a 7900GT.
 
Why? cos it's me that'll be doing the upgrading? thought guys did'nt like techy girls?

Anyway I'm taken:)
You didn't anwer my question!
 
:eek: Might want to seriously consider an uprated PSU too, if you go the 1800XT/7900GT route.....these gfx cards can demand a fair whack of power, and the one showing in the picture is a little underpowered methinks

Edit : DOH seems this has been spotted.... :eek:
 
Yes it'd cope with ANYTHING out today. You'll NEED a new PSU though, check out Seasonic ones from here, they're brilliant.
 
The best that will fit [the case and motherboard]?

New power supply to run decent graphics card:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Enermax_111.html
Id go for enermax 500w or get a

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_FSP__Sparkle__484.html
700w ( that is meant to be quieter than the larger PSUs)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_This_Week_Only_25.html#aGX_2d078_2dLT
Could do worse than one of those,

although my personal preference is ATI:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_X1900_Series_501.html
Connect3D ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (3056) (GX-047-CO)

Still thinking about a processor upgrade...
 
Didn't really want to upgrade anything else, the rig only cost £ 349 in the first place.

How much of a drop in performance is the 7600GT?
 
Lots of drop in performance. You could buy a 1800xt instead, they're as good as 7900gt's.
 
Seven, I'd stay away from the higher end graphics cards unless you want to buy a new psu too. Just sticking an adapter on that psu won't work it's only 350w.

Any of the higher end ATI cards will require a 580w psu for adequate headroom, it should have at least a 18amp pci rail for the gfx card.

So it depends on what you wanna spend.

Hope this helps somewhat..


edit it may be worth considering your future psu now, as it won't be wasted if you get a good one, especially if upgrading.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom