Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Meow?]

So I have roamed around and found a nice booth to sell me a medium ranged gaming rig this coming payday. Thanks to all your help.

Now what's left is one of my computers. Out of curiosity, I opened it and hoped to see if I can learn some assembling. But... it kinda scared me. 2 slots for RAM, with no visibly detachable video card... at that point I gave up and shut the case.

I figured, I'd ask again. I think I found the current profile of this unit.
http://s429.photobucket.com/albums/qq13/Phoenix_Jackson/?action=view&current=Untitled-2.png
Would some of you helpful peeps be brutally honest and tell me if this thing have a chance of upgrading? Which one? To what one(I might use this juat for some light gaming or just play some movies with it)? Or should I just get a cleaver and chop it down to pieces and maybe get some useful things out of it for my upcoming computer? Am I asking the right questions?

[excaza]

While old (in computer years), the processor in there is a pretty capable one. It's got a healthy amount of RAM but you're definitely going to have to buy a graphics card, integrated cards are terrible for gaming.

What games are you looking at playing?

[Meow?]

As for now, I uninstalled DAO from it and used my other computer. When I'm done with DAO, I intend to play Assasin's Creed (finally).

Is it worth the trouble? Here are some games I bought impulsively:

Cryostasis
Overlord
Prototype
Bioshock
Just Cause

[Gaber]

That system is perfectly good, except for the intergrated graphics. A 150,000-ish graphics card would make it a very serviceable games machine.

You may want to upgrade to a 64 bit version W7 though. The version you're using is letting half a gig of ram go to waste.

[Meow?]

Wow, so far this unit has been getting better comments than I expected. I'm starting to feel like caring for it again. Thank you.

Once I bring it to the shop, I'll request for a 64 bit Windows 7 for sure. But with the picture I posted, could you guys see if such an integrated video card is upgradeable? I've read on some pages that some of the like can not be upgraded without some slots or something. And perhaps which card would be preferable? I intend to buy the graphics card online and have it installed at the shop, rather than have those ajoshis buy it themselves and charge me three times the price (they were asking me 180k for a 9800 GT last month)... well I might be exaggerating, but it could happen.

Are there any other parts I need to change?

And thank you thank you very much for saving this PC.

[eamo]

Unless you really really need it for something (when you get the new computer will you have just the one monitor?) I'd sell it off here on Dave's........it's just about good enough to be sale-able.

What would you use it for? Will you need to buy another monitor?

[Meow?]

All of my stuff are connected to one LCD TV (uknown brand); the 2 current computers, PS3, and PS2. I think the coming new PC would be connected there too... except...

This is another one that's frustrating me. As an impulse buyer, I didn't know LCD TVs are this hard to tweak... or needs tweaking... or is tweakable for higher resolution (currently stuck at native res of 1280x1024 and can't go any higher). But for now, the monitor thought is still set aside. I'm thinking either to add an additional monitor just for gaming (maybe 24"), get a real computer monitor closest to my current screen size (which is 42") and as much as I can afford it, or just suck it up and shush myself about the monitor... at least for a while.

Selling it on Dave's crossed my mind (doing absolutely nothing with the very very least knowledge about computers makes me having soon-to-be three computers is just crazy). But knowing how brutal some buyers could be, I'd have to know if there's some future with this unit and have to know the most ideal price it could have. So far, I'm tackling the former.

[hallazgo]

any new graphics card is going to be PCI-express. You'll have trouble finding any plain old PCI card. If you find one, great, if not, you're faced with buying a new mobo that will hold one

[kprrok]

[excaza]

[cj1976]

If you have the time and patience, look into overclocking that CPU. I have a quad-core Intel and it OCs like a beast.

[Meow?]

I got the time and the patience. Lots of them! It's the knowledge that I need more. I tried a little from youtube vids but a little tinker and the computer crashes. A lot of error and error

So is the motherboard really that bad? If it's that bad, and it's more advisable to just hack and slash it, what are the parts that I could salvage?

People are getting tired of this topic and I apologize. Thanks for the input.

[kprrok]

Your motherboard is fine. Gigabyte is good, and it's got an expansion slot for a new graphics card. Here is a link to the information...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128340&cm_re=Gigabyte_GA-M78SM-S2H-_-13-128-340-_-Product

You don't need to scrap this system. It'll do good if you're not doing anything hard core like big gaming or tons of video rendering, etc.

[Meow?]

Thank you thank you.

To do:
Get a good graphics card
Install Windows 7 (64bit)
Overclock... maybe not... maybe when I get tired of it again... or when I'm not scared.

Is that it? That's all I need for now? Thank you thank you.

This unit is definitely not for video rendering nor photoshop. That'll be for my other PC. I've learned a lot from the link and your comments. Thank you again.

[kprrok]

For a new graphics card, I'd look at these two options:

1) nVidia GeForce GTS 450 - around 160k

2) AMD Radeon HD 5750 - around 140k

I'd stick with XFX, MSI, or HIS brands. They have good build quality and warranty service if needed.

If you want more power, the step up from both cards (GTX 460 and HD 5770) are around 200k.