Fastor Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 I need to know what graphics card you would suggest to install with my computer specs listed below. Processor: AMD Phenom II X2 511 3.4 GHz RAM: 5 GB Windows 7 64-Bit Video: ATI Radeon HD 4200 Link: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02628426&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&jumpid=reg_r1002_usens-001&lang=en&lc=en&product=5049522#N361 ThanksThe CPU is going to hold you back there pretty significantly. So, while a graphics upgrade will help, it won't drastically change the game. I would suggest going with a relatively cheap upgrade so as not to waste money. Look for an AMD Radeon HD 5670. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 This is a good idea in the making here. I am a computer technician myself with almost 15 years experience in the field. One thing we should do is set some guidelines. Like a template for people to fill out so we get at least the basic information we need. For Example. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Operating System : CPU : RAM : (not only the amount but the type) GPU(s) : Symptoms : Steps you have already tried : (very important to be honest here - even if you messed up because you didn't know exactly what you were doing) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's Christmas morning and I'm still drinking my first cup of coffee, I'm sure we can add more on there, but those are the most basic things needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eroyz Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Thanks, what about this card, is fairly cheap. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121474 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 The CPU is going to hold you back there pretty significantly. So, while a graphics upgrade will help, it won't drastically change the game. I would suggest going with a relatively cheap upgrade so as not to waste money. Look for an AMD Radeon HD 5670. That processor isn't as bad as you make it out to be. While it may be a dual core, it's AMD's equivalent of an I3 dual core - very efficient. Though it isn't ideal, it's not bare minimum either, as this game is way more graphics intensive than CPU intensive. Let's find out what his budget is before shooting out some card numbers. Are you looking for cheap? best bang for your buck? The 5770 is a good card, but you can actually get somewhat of a better card for only $10-$15 more. Then again maybe he has $300 to spend on a nice card. Bottom line is, when it comes to SWTOR, your processor - while important - isn't going to be a bottleneck. The graphics intensity of the game will make a graphics card upgrade very much worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eroyz Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 I have a budget of $200, going over that is when the wife's eyes turn red as a sith's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Okay, great - $200 will get you a very nice bang for your buck card - give me a few to do some research and I'll give you a link to what I would recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastor Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 The Phenom II X2 511 Is actually a rebranded Athlon II CPU. So, yeah, it kind of is that bad. However, the Radeon 6770 that you linked probably is a good choice. I wouldn't spend much more than that unless you plan on upgrading the rest of your PC soon or if you want to move the new video card into an entirely new computer a little ways down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eroyz Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) Okay, great - $200 will get you a very nice bang for your buck card - give me a few to do some research and I'll give you a link to what I would recommend. Thanks The Phenom II X2 511 Is actually a rebranded Athlon II CPU. So, yeah, it kind of is that bad. However, the Radeon 6770 that you linked probably is a good choice. I wouldn't spend much more than that unless you plan on upgrading the rest of your PC soon or if you want to move the new video card into an entirely new computer a little ways down the road. Yes but it has the same bang as the i3 from Intel. I did research on the processor, more specifically it uses the Athlon II core and not a rebranded processor altogether, it is above minimum requirements for the game. The video card is the only thing slowing me. I turned off all the non essential's of my CPU, it improved my gameplay dramatically, still lag out in cantina's but that is the only place now. So I figure a new graphics card is worth the money especially as it will be moving to any new computer I get in the future. If I could upgrade the processor in this one I would but I have no clue how to do that. Edited December 25, 2011 by Eroyz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastor Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Yes but it has the same bang as the i3 from Intel. I did research on the processor, it is above minimum requirements for the game. The video card is the only thing slowing me. I turned off all the non essential's of my CPU, it improved my gameplay dramatically, still lag out in cantina's but that is the only place now. So I figure a new graphics card is worth the money especially as it will be moving to any new computer I get in the future. If I could upgrade the processor in this one I would but I have no clue how to do that. My point was that if you spend too much on a graphics card, you'll end up shifting the bottleneck over to the CPU. I agree that a graphics upgrade will likely help you and that 6770 would be a good choice. However, if you are planning on getting a new computer soon (6-9 months) then it might be worth it to spend a bit more now and move the graphics card over to the new machine. For reference, this article should help you out: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fastest-graphics-card-radeon-geforce,3085-2.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) It is based on the same core as the Athlon II yes. But still not horrible. The 6770 is a good card - and you could even pair that up with this. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103995 And get a decent card and a cpu upgrade for close to your $200 budget. That cpu is basically a Thuban core with possibly better memory clocking than a Deneb and only 95W thermal design - efficient and cheap upgrade for your processor at the same time as your video card. If you want to get a better video card I would suggest this. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150521 Fits right in under your budget and is a great middle of the road card. Edited December 25, 2011 by Iandayen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eroyz Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 So to upgrade processors, I just replace the chips then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 For the most part. One thing to always remember when replacing a processor is to ALWAYS clean your heat sink off and use new thermal paste. Once you have the old cpu out and the new one in, double and triple check to make sure your heat sink and fan are firmly and securely seated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avelias Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 So my brother bought a new desktop. It's got 2 nVidia 580 cards. He was hoping to use his TV as his monitor. Looking at the back of the computer, at the top near the USB ports there's an HDMI port. Down where the video cards are there's the traditional VGA port and a DVI port. His TV has an HDMI port as well. We bought an HDMI cable, hooked his TV and computer up and get no signal. I've been searching online and all I keep reading is that if your computer and TV have HDMI ports then that's all you need. But maybe I need a VGA to HDMI adapter? Anyone set this up with their own computer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Okay i'm gonna go do my space mission dailies and try to push from 44 to 50 today while my 4 year old son is busy playing with his new toys =P I'll check back in later or you can hop on Nad's Sarcophagus Server - Empire side and whisper Hardpeck if you have any immediate questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 So my brother bought a new desktop. It's got 2 nVidia 580 cards. He was hoping to use his TV as his monitor. Looking at the back of the computer, at the top near the USB ports there's an HDMI port. Down where the video cards are there's the traditional VGA port and a DVI port. His TV has an HDMI port as well. We bought an HDMI cable, hooked his TV and computer up and get no signal. I've been searching online and all I keep reading is that if your computer and TV have HDMI ports then that's all you need. But maybe I need a VGA to HDMI adapter? Anyone set this up with their own computer? His motherboard has onboard HDMI - but he has aftermarket video cards installed. Once you put a video card in the video goes only through those cards - it completely bypasses the onboard HDMI he has. You won't get a signal out of that port - and if you did it wouldn't be using the graphics cards he has installed to power it. You can get DVI to HDMI adapters pretty cheap online or for a bit more at a place like Best Buy or something and that should allow you to go to the HDMI port from the video cards - but you won't be carrying sound to the TV if he wants the TV speakers to play the sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastor Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 So my brother bought a new desktop. It's got 2 nVidia 580 cards. He was hoping to use his TV as his monitor. Looking at the back of the computer, at the top near the USB ports there's an HDMI port. Down where the video cards are there's the traditional VGA port and a DVI port. His TV has an HDMI port as well. We bought an HDMI cable, hooked his TV and computer up and get no signal. I've been searching online and all I keep reading is that if your computer and TV have HDMI ports then that's all you need. But maybe I need a VGA to HDMI adapter? Anyone set this up with their own computer? If you're plugging into the HDMI port near where the USB ports are, you're plugging into the integrated video connections on the motherboard and not using the dedicated graphics cards. The integrated GPU is most likely disabled. That's why you're not getting any signal. If the GTX 580 cards don't have HDMI ports, you can buy a DVI->HDMI converter fairly cheaply. Check out monoprice.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avelias Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Thank you both for the quick replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kugalojan Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 i have a new windows 7 compute with the following spec: 8gb ram i5 2500k with 3.30gz ATi radeon 6770 graphics card My problem is, when i force anti aliasing to 4x i get fps around 30. Now when i get quests that include a holoterminal, my fps goes down to say even 7fps. Its a fairly new computer only games it has are wow and swtor, i haven't installed needless stuff to slow down the computer. Is there anyway i can sort this? would it help to get another of the same graphics card and increase the graphics memory? Cheers in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waadjin Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Can someone please tell me which one of the two is causing my extreme FPS drops in crowded cities and warzones?! CPU - E5400 Dual-Core 2.7 GHz GPU - Radeon HD 5770 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Can someone please tell me which one of the two is causing my extreme FPS drops in crowded cities and warzones?! CPU - E5400 Dual-Core 2.7 GHz GPU - Radeon HD 5770 Your CPU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastor Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 i have a new windows 7 compute with the following spec: 8gb ram i5 2500k with 3.30gz ATi radeon 6770 graphics card My problem is, when i force anti aliasing to 4x i get fps around 30. Now when i get quests that include a holoterminal, my fps goes down to say even 7fps. Its a fairly new computer only games it has are wow and swtor, i haven't installed needless stuff to slow down the computer. Is there anyway i can sort this? would it help to get another of the same graphics card and increase the graphics memory? A few things here. 1) The 6770, while a decent card, isn't top of the line. It's going to choke if you try and turn all of the settings up to max, especially if you are running at a high resolution. 2) 4x anti-aliasing means that for every pixel that is being anti-aliased, you actually have to render 4 pixels and average them. That's a pretty significant performance hit. 3) Since Bioware decided not to include in-game AA settings, the forced methods tend to be pretty inefficient. They aren't optimized for the particular graphics engine and so you're going to see a bigger performance hit than you're used to for games that have AA settings in-game. 4) Anything that's transparent, such as a holoterminal, is going to have more pixels that need to be anti-aliased. So, it's expected that it will slow you down more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kugalojan Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 A few things here. 1) The 6770, while a decent card, isn't top of the line. It's going to choke if you try and turn all of the settings up to max, especially if you are running at a high resolution. 2) 4x anti-aliasing means that for every pixel that is being anti-aliased, you actually have to render 4 pixels and average them. That's a pretty significant performance hit. 3) Since Bioware decided not to include in-game AA settings, the forced methods tend to be pretty inefficient. They aren't optimized for the particular graphics engine and so you're going to see a bigger performance hit than you're used to for games that have AA settings in-game. 4) Anything that's transparent, such as a holoterminal, is going to have more pixels that need to be anti-aliased. So, it's expected that it will slow you down more. :/ ah ty. I guess ill just have to stick with no anti aliasing for now, will be silly to change the graphics card after just a month hehe. But having said that, i tried it on my brothers computer an i7 processor, which has an older graphics card. It averaged 40-45 fps with anti aliasing set on 8x. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastor Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 But having said that, i tried it on my brothers computer an i7 processor, which has an older graphics card. It averaged 40-45 fps with anti aliasing set on 8x. I can't draw any conclusions without more information. Is your brother running a lower resolution? Does he have a different brand of video card from you? Are all of the other graphics settings the same? Note that there is a bug where sometimes the graphics settings in game show "low" when they're actually medium or high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drylan_Stryker Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Hi sorry im back, just wanted to ask a quick question: My system: Acer Aspire AX3400 AMD Athlon II X2 215 dual core processor at 2.7 Ghz 8 GB Memory 1 TB Hardrive Nvidia Geforce 9200 Graphics Thanks for your help previously, this computer is a slimline desktop with a 220W power supply so not enough to run a top end graphics card, however if i was to get an empty PC case a power PSU and a top graphics card, and put it all together on this motherboard would it be safe or would i risk damaging the pc? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastor Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Hi sorry im back, just wanted to ask a quick question: My system: Acer Aspire AX3400 AMD Athlon II X2 215 dual core processor at 2.7 Ghz 8 GB Memory 1 TB Hardrive Nvidia Geforce 9200 Graphics Thanks for your help previously, this computer is a slimline desktop with a 220W power supply so not enough to run a top end graphics card, however if i was to get an empty PC case a power PSU and a top graphics card, and put it all together on this motherboard would it be safe or would i risk damaging the pc? Thanks in advance The motherboard in a slim case likely won't mount in a standard PC case. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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