Soon I'll be getting a Dell 745 Optiplex Intel 3.4GHz Pentium D Dual Core CPU 3GB DDR2 Memory 160GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive, SATA DVD/CDRW with Windows XP Professional, all it needs is a good graphics card. What is the best card for this system, taking answers on Nvidia and ATI Radeon graphic cards only.
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Not a direct answer to the card question but some insight.Originally posted by Unreal4Eva View Post
Prepare for heat problems and a heck of a slow pc. If you have not used the pc before check for bad caps and test the drive before you go to far. If you must use that machine as it is, I would not invest a lot in a card. Any low profile card that does not require a additional power plug would work. You will have to do some ini mods for it to run some what smooth. I have used onboard graphics before assuming the pc passes requirements.
geronahoooooooooooooo o -
I have a question. Why would you buy a pc that's so out dated? That thing has got to be 6 or 7 years old at least.Comment
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I'm not sure UT4 is even gonna run on XP.Comment
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UT3 will run on that CPU. I cannibalized two old PCs and tried it on a Pentium 4 (single core, can't remember if HT) with a GTS8800 320MB. I actually managed 60+ FPS in some areas. However, stat fps also reported 20-40+ms of input lag, which was a lot higher than UT3 reported with my Q6600 at similar FPS. That alone isn't worth it.
What form factor is the chassis (spec sheet)? If it's not the minitower, then forget it. You would need a different chassis, and I'm guessing that the Optiplex conforms to certain Dell proprietary form factor specifications, meaning that you might not be able to switch cases if you tried. Even if you have the minitower, it's still too narrow to house any decent GPU, modern or otherwise. You need to get the computer and measure clearance around the PCI-E x16 slot. Regardless, the value seems very poor for GPU models that might fit. For that matter, the entire venture isn't worth considering for UT3 if you have to spend any money on this computer, but let's instead set a budget at $50... and it still won't be worth it. Even then, I imagine the CPU will hilariously bottleneck just about any remotely modern GPU. Terrible idea. Sorry.Comment
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Yes its the minitower Dell Optiplex. I have ran UT3 on a Dell Inspirion 530 with a single core Celeron CPU at 2.20ghz and the game ran smooth without the bloom and DOF enabled but if I turned the max settings in the gamer up the computer sucks big time.Comment
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Is this an AGP graphics board? Pent D goes way back, cpu is sub AMD offerings of that time. Significantly below Athlon XP 4200 X2 performance.Comment
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I think it is an AGP board but not sure though. The link to this PC is here http://www.amazon.com/Dell-745-Perfo...gaming+desktopComment
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Many of the ones I have seen do not have any slots for adding a video card. The ones that do have AGP. 10+ year old junk. Don't waste your money.Originally posted by Unreal4Eva View PostComment
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That is good advise. I have found a different PC, this time aOriginally posted by oldkawman1 View Post
Dell XPS 420 Desktop Computer (Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 SATA 4GB SDRAM)
Processor / Chipset
- Number of Cores
Quad-Core - 64-bit Computing
Yes - CPU Qty
1 - Max CPU Qty
1 - CPU Socket
LGA775 Socket - Chipset Type
Intel X38 Express - Front Side Bus
1333 MHz
Cache Memory
- Installed Size
L2 cache - 6 MB - Cache Per Processor
6 MB
RAM
- Technology
DDR2 SDRAM - Memory Speed
667 MHz - Memory Specification Compliance
PC2-5300 - Form Factor
DIMM 240-pin - Features
dual channel memory architecture - Configuration Features
2 x 512 MB + 1 x 1 GB
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature
50 °F - Max Operating Temperature
95 °F - Humidity Range Operating
20 - 80%
Hard Drive
- Type
HDD - Capacity
1 x 750 GB - Interface Type
SATA 3Gb/s - Spindle Speed
7200
Storage Controller
- Controller Interface Type
Serial ATA-300 - Channel Qty
5
Optical Storage
- Read Speed
16x
Floppy Drive
- Type
none
Card Reader
- Type
19 in 1 card reader
Monitor
- Monitor Type
None.
Multimedia Functionality
- TV Tuner Type
digital and analog TV - Digital TV Reception
ATSC
Graphics Controller
- Type
plug-in card - Interface Type
PCI Express 2.0 x16 - Graphics Processor
ATI Radeon HD 2400PRO - Video Memory
128 MB - Video Interfaces
VGA - Max Monitors Supported
2
Audio Output
- Type
integrated - Sound Output Mode
7.1 channel surround - Compliant Standards
High Definition Audio
Input Device
- Type
keyboard
Keyboard
- Interface
USB
Mouse
- Technology
optical - Interface
USB
Networking
- Type
integrated - Data Link Protocol
Ethernet
Power
- Device Type
power supply - Nominal Voltage
AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz ) - Power Provided
425 Watt
Expansion / Connectivity
- Bays
2 external 3.5" x 1/3H
2 (total) / 1 (free) x external 5.25" x 1/2H
2 (total) / 1 (free) x internal 3.5" x 1/3H
Operating System / Software
- OS Provided
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Comment
- Number of Cores
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If the OS is "Vista" its an indication of an outdated system
. Do you have any budget limit or like to buy such old systems?
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It was a typo error on my part, the system has Windows 7 Professional 64 on it. If you'd like to know, I do have a limited budget. I wish I could afford a Cyberpower PC lolOriginally posted by RattleSN4K3 View PostIf the OS is "Vista" its an indication of an outdated system. Do you have any budget limit or like to such old systems?Comment
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Hmm. What exactly is your budget to spend? 1000$ ? 5004 ?
What parts do you need?
Can you use any old parts?Comment
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I would stay away from any Dell or HP desktop. These are cheaply made with **** components. They typically have 1-2 Gb ram and onboard graphics. Only propriatary Dell motherboards will fit the case. It's a throw away machine.
Ebay would be a better place to buy used computers and components. Make sure you get one with a standard ATX case and power supply so you can install any ATX, mini-ATX, of micro-ATX mobo in it.
When your on a budget, your best off if you build your own PC. Pic the right case and power supply so you can re-use them the next time. Then it's just the cpu, mobo, ram, and graphics card that you swap out when you upgrade. Many folks upgrade every couple years and sell the old components to help offset the cost of the new.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...n-pc,2601.htmlComment
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