PC upgrading

[bobzilla]

I am thinking of getting the ATI radeon 5870 but im not sure if it will work on this because it wont meet the requirements or something.

RAM:2GB
processor:AMD athlon 64 x2 dual core processor 5000+ 2.60ghz
Will it work?If not give me some suggestions of what else I should upgrade or if I shoul get another card.Also if you need more imformation about my computer tell me and ill try and find it.

[Spoon]

The card will work for you, but your processor will be a huge bottleneck and you won't get nearly the performance that that card has to offer. I'm sure it will be an improvement over what you have, but not enough to justify that card. You'll need a better processor to really have the 5870 fulfill it's potential. For instance, earlier this year I had a gtx 295, but only a core 2 duo. Even though I overclocked it from 2.6 to about 3.4, it was holding my gpu back tremendously. I upgraded to a core i7 cpu, and I was absolutely blown away. For instance, I would average around 60 frames a second in far cry 2 with the dual core, and after the upgrade it was around 100 a second at the same exact settings.

So...if you're willing to spend the money on a new cpu, which might require a new motherboard and memory.... then yeah go for it! Otherwise look elsewhere for a new video card. Don't mix mid-range hardware with high-end. Just doesn't make sense.

[bobzilla]

Well I forget to mention my current card is a Nvidia 9500GT which I thought would be a good card but it cant even run doom 3 on high with playable frame rates half the time.Since im just your average joe schmoe when it comes to this stuff is that card any good?So should I just upgrade the processor?If so some suggestions would be good to tell me what processor I should get.

[R00k]

I have an 8800gt pcie 512mb and it runs Quake4 max settings > 75fps. Using an Intel core 2 duo 8500 at 3.15Ghz and 1gig ram.

[Spoon]

I dont' know anything about the 9500GT. I assumed it was bad, but if it can't even run a 5 year old game very well, it's worse than I thought. Even upgrading to Rook's card the 8800 GT would be a good improvement for you. Or you could go a little higher up and go for an ATI 4850 or 4870, or an nvidia gtx 260.

Unless you want to run the newest games at their highest quality settings, I wouldn't upgrade your cpu. Get a better graphics card, but steer away from the very high end.

[bobzilla]

I guess ill get the ATI 4870.Do you know where I could get one of those things?

[Spoon]

I always use Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more! for my graphics card purchases.

[foq]

You're forgetting several key factors.

First and foremost is the power supply. The 5870 is a real "gas guzzler" of a graphics card. Think of it like a NASCAR stock car, and your 9500 being something the government would have wanted you to buy in the cash for clunkers program. The power supply requirement for a system running a single 5870 is >500w, and that power supply must have two PCI-E 6-pin connectors. Seeing as they (AMD, the people who designed the 5870) want you to use at least a 500w, I would go above that (>600w) to give the system some room to breate. I would consider this one myself: Antec NEO ECO 620w

The second factor is case size. The 5870 is a pretty long card and you most likely won't have a big enough case to fit it. It's just under a full foot long (11.1"). For comparison, the 9500gt is ~4.2" shorter at 6.875" long.

I was going to reccomend a 4670, but they want you to have at least a 400w power supply, which you probably don't have if you have a retail pc (dell, compaq & what have you)

[bobzilla]

Well i was going to buy the 4870 but ill get the 620w thing because my computer sucks so do I just replace the power supply and card and im good or is it more complicated?I also heard that the card has overheating problems so what should I do about that?Honestly I should just start fresh and slowly build it up but whatever.

How do I find what my power supply is and all that other stuff anyways?

[foq]

Open the computer and look at it.

Do you know anybody in real life who's decently skilled with computers? I would rather talk to a real person who can physically show me things and answer my questions in real-time rather than waiting hours, days for a fourm reply.

The 4870 is a hot card indeed, but you're still getting ahead of yourself. You need to make sure it will fit in your case first. The 4870 is 10.5" long, which is still just under 4 inches longer than your current card. Also, you need to make sure you have proper airflow in your case. I wouldn't run a high-end card like that unless I had at least one exhaust fan and one intake fan (or at least a really big vent where the graphics card would go). Another important factor is cable management. If you don't have some way of keeping your cables (power cables, IDE ribbons, SATA cables, etc) out of the way, you'll cut down on your airflow and increace your temps. This is espically important if you have a less-than-huge case with little provision for fans.

[bobzilla]

Now that I got what I wanted from a friend I want to ask another question which doesnt involve computers.This might not fit here but whatever

Does anybody here know anything about drums?I saw a drum kit for about $500 and get it because its pretty cheap and it has a rider and crash cymbal but does anybody know where to get more cymbals and stands?Also is it possible to play double bass on one bass drum?Sorry if this really doesnt fit in a PC topic but ill make a new topic if I get no posts.

[ninjamonkeyz]

Now that I got what I wanted from a friend I want to ask another question which doesnt involve computers.This might not fit here but whatever

Does anybody here know anything about drums?I saw a drum kit for about $500 and get it because its pretty cheap and it has a rider and crash cymbal but does anybody know where to get more cymbals and stands?Also is it possible to play double bass on one bass drum?Sorry if this really doesnt fit in a PC topic but ill make a new topic if I get no posts.

Try ebay? or google or bing..

[metchsteekle]

Drums and Percussion Instruments, Drum Sets, Cymbals, and Drum Parts