Can I buy a new GPU and play games on my PC?

M

Maddnotez

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
310
I'm trying to be able to play games on my PC. I DL a free Ghost Recon game and it worked but with latency. Maybe about 1 second or so.

My PC is not designed for gaming and Idk much about PC.

I'm looking to get a game running that will be very basic. It's not out yet but Beta testing starts in 2 weeks. No specs have been released as of yet. It's very similar to Counterstrike.

Anyway what do I need to do? I've heard mixed feedback with my questions so was looking for more opinions.

Can I just get a new GPU and call it a day?

I attached pics of my power supply and motherboard at request of someone on another forum. Below the pics are all My specs that I could find. Also I used canirunthis.com with my PC as is and checked Counterstrike:GO and it said all was good except GPU.







My computer:

Lenovo 3000 H Series
Processor
Intel Pentium dual-core E2220(2.40GHz)
Processor Main Features
64 bit Dual Core Processor
Cache Per Processor
1MB L2 Cache
Memory
3GB DDR2 800
Hard Drive
320GB SATAII
Optical Drive
DVD+/-RW
Graphics
Intel GMA 3100
Audio
Sound card - Integrated
CPU
CPU Type
Pentium dual-core
Installed Qty
1
CPU FSB
800MHz
CPU Speed
E2220 (2.40GHz)
L2 Cache Per CPU
1MB
CPU Socket Type
LGA 775
CPU Main Features
64 bit Dual Core Processor
Graphics
GPU/VGA Type
Intel GMA 3100
Graphics Interface
Integrated video
Memory
Memory Capacity
3GB DDR2
Memory Speed
DDR2 800
Maximum Memory Supported
4GB
Hard Drive
HDD
320GB
HDD Interface
SATA II
 
5269558397_64406aeb94_z.jpg
 
Your PC is very old. You can't do anything to bring that up to modern standards. Just build a new PC. Think of what resolution, frame rates, AA settings ect. you want to play it. Then set a budget. Then I'm sure a bunch of forum members will piece out a build for you.
 
Flogger23m said:
Your PC is very old. You can't do anything to bring that up to modern standards. Just build a new PC. Think of what resolution, frame rates, AA settings ect. you want to play it. Then set a budget. Then I'm sure a bunch of forum members will piece out a build for you.
Click to expand...

Building a new pc is not an option.

So you're saying no to my question then?

There's no way I can buy a GPU and play a game?
 
You can buy a GPU, but it isnt gonna be anything worth the time considering the low specs of your system. it would be best to just build a new rig
 
You'll need a new power supply too ~500w or more, but other than that, you should be able to game with a GPU and new PSU. Get a mid range or last gen high end on the cheap. You CPU will bottleneck you if you choose to go high end.
 
BlackThought said:
You can buy a GPU, but it isnt gonna be anything worth the time considering the low specs of your system. it would be best to just build a new rig
Click to expand...

Ok thanks.

But just so you guys know I'm not looking to get some crazy hi tech system. I don't care about graphics and any tech stuff. I just want to play 1 single game and it's gonna be very basic like Counterstrike.

Canirunthis says if I had a better GPU than I could play CS. So no offense and you all know more than me but If it's impossible to play a game on my old system why is that website telling me otherwise?
 
tnynyn said:
You'll need a new power supply too ~500w or more, but other than that, you should be able to game with just those two. Get a mid range or last gen high end on the cheap. You CPU will bottleneck you if you choose to go high end.
Click to expand...

Hmm so now two different answers. You say yes and other guys say no lol who is right?
 
Maddnotez said:
Hmm so now two different answers. You say yes and other guys say no lol who is right?
Click to expand...

I'm leaning towards needing a new CPU and PSU first. Also the bare minimum I would have is 4GB, but the newest titles are starting to recommend 8GB.

At 280W, the highest you would be able to reliably go is a Core 2 Duo and a 750Ti. A 960 with a twin molex to PCIe adapter will be pushing it. This will also be your cheapest option. You will have to double check to see if your PSU uses a standard shape and screw hole layout. Many OEM PCs do not. If it does have a standard shape and holes, the sky is the limit as far as configuration options in mATX.
 
Mr. Bluntman said:
I'm leaning towards needing a new CPU and PSU first. Also the bare minimum I would have is 4GB, but the newest titles are starting to recommend 8GB.

At 280W, the highest you would be able to go is a Core 2 Duo and a 750Ti. You will have to double check to see if your PSU uses a standard shape and screw hole layout. Many OEM PCs do not. If it does have a standard shape and holes, the sky is the limit as far as configuration options in mATX.
Click to expand...

This is very similar to what someone else said to me I think.

I'm a noob so the acronyms are foreign to me but someone else replied with this:



Quote:

It seems powerful enough that it should handle a GTX 750. It takes under 75W, all of it through the PCIe slot (no power cables needed). But I'm worried the CPU is way too slow for a GTX 750, it won't allow it to perform 100%.

I'm not the best guy to ask about LGA775 processors... someone else will hopefully chime in and tell you if there's a used CPU you could buy that would be a substantial enough upgrade but not too power hungry. My hunch is a Core 2 Quad Q6600 which sells for about $20 on ebay and consumes about 50W more than what you have... but that might be too much for the power supply.


So if this is accurate I could buy a $100 Graphics Card and a used CPU for real cheap?

I'm not sure what a PSU is like you said. Power supply?
 
Yes PSU = Power supply, go for a good name brand:

Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, etc...You can probably pick them up in the trade forum for pretty cheap. CPU is optional, try the gpu and psu first to see how well the game is on the computer. You can get a higher end cpu later on if needed.
 
First of all, not all 775 boards support ALL 775 cpu's. So, you might not be able to upgrade your cpu. From looking at your motherboard, I would suspect that there's little upgrading that can be done with it.

Second, your PSU, (power supply unit ), is made for the hardware you currently have. There's not enough power to run a decent mid-range gpu, ( graphics card ). You might be able to get away with a lower level graphics card with minimal power requirements. Other than that, you'd need to replace the PSU.

Thirdly, you can add a graphics card but you're limited by your power supply and in most cases your cpu will "bottleneck" the card.

IMO, if you really want to put money into this computer your only choices are 1) power supply, 2) graphics card, and 3) more ram. You have to decide if it's worth the money to work with what you have.

So, with a few upgrades can you play some games..??? Some games, ... yes. But it depends on the game and it's system requirements. You won't be playing Battlefield 3 or 4, Metro, Dying Light, and a whole list of "newer" games.
 
Waveforme said:
First of all, not all 775 boards support ALL 775 cpu's. So, you might not be able to upgrade your cpu. From looking at your motherboard, I would suspect that there's little upgrading that can be done with it.

Second, your PSU, (power supply unit ), is made for the hardware you currently have. There's not enough power to run a decent mid-range gpu, ( graphics card ). You might be able to get away with a lower level graphics card with minimal power requirements. Other than that, you'd need to replace the PSU.

Thirdly, you can add a graphics card but you're limited by your power supply and in most cases your cpu will "bottleneck" the card.

IMO, if you really want to put money into this computer your only choices are 1) power supply, 2) graphics card, and 3) more ram. You have to decide if it's worth the money to work with what you have.

So, with a few upgrades can you play some games..??? Some games, ... yes. But it depends on the game and it's system requirements. You won't be playing Battlefield 3 or 4, Metro, Dying Light, and a whole list of "newer" games.
Click to expand...

I've seen 600w PSU for $30, used CPU for $20.

I can buy little inexpensive used items like that not a
Problem but that plus GPU maxes my budget.

Only want for 1 very basic game and that's it. Looking for cheapest ghetto rig for as little $ as possible. I don't want to Run Battlefield just a very basic CS:GO type game.
 
Best I can tell this is the OPs computer: Lenovo 3000 h series h210-h3533

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883108198

I don't know if it will support a Q6600.

Based on what I've read it takes a standard ATX psu. Can sometimes be had as low as $20 after rebates

GTX 750 as low as $100 after rebates

Max 4GB of ram, 1GB looks to be going for about $6 on the Bay

So minimum $126 to bring it up to bellow current low end gaming and the best this system will ever do.

Whether its worth trying or not is completely up to you. It may work and be exactly what you want, it may work and still leave you wanting, or it may not work at all.
 
You would be better of buying an older gaming rig like a q6600 or i5-750 instead of replacing everything
 
Thanks for all the replies. I guess my PC is just too crappy.

I'll just check ebay to see if I can for a used computer for cheap.
 
While I don't recommend it I have run a Amd 7850 off a 280W power supply while mining cryptocurrencies in the past for about 6 months, the PSU was one of those cheap Chinese no name ones also. So while you could get away with it you would be putting a lot of stress on the PSU and if it shorts out and fails it could take out the rest of the system.

To sum it up yes it can be done, but it might not be worth it.
 
Truly, you will get a of a lot more out of your money buying newer and used components from reputable buyers and a better gaming experience then throwing money into that OEM pos, it's a total waste

Your small budget almost damn near makes it impossible to recommend anything for you sad to say. If you had $500, you would have a shit tons more options.

Surfing eBay and Craigslist for a miracle deal is really your best option
 
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Suprfire said:
Get a GTX 750 Ti , drop it in, and hope for the best!
Click to expand...

i second this get a 750ti and the following doing some google searches there have been people in your exact situation

PSU
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004RJ8EKI//ref=nosim/viglink21670-20

and your board supports a core 2 quad take your pick at ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-...126?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item339d1cd35e

reality though id save up at least 350 to get a good build going
 
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I would buy a GTX 750 and see how your game performs. Then see if that motherboard would accept a Core 2 Quad. In the end it may just be easier to find a used Core i5 or i7 and start from there.
 
from the pictures it looks like its a matx board this means he can use the case as a base to build. the psu i recommended will fit in the case and down the line grab matx board with a quad core cpu. This is assuming he grabs the 750ti and if the gaming is horrid on it he can snag a core2 quad on ebay cheap that would at least get him by till more funds are available for a proper build
 
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The answer is no. You're going to need a new PSU. While it is rated at 280 watts I'd be surprised if it is even 75% of that which is around 210 watts more than likely it will be even less than that. Your CPU is about 60 watts and under full load expect the 750ti to pull about 70 watts. So 130 watts just for that, add in the other components and you're looking at 150 maybe 160 max. However, what really matters is your 12v line which shows your PSU is capable of providing 18 amps on that line; however, because of the low quality of your PSU as well as its age you're probably looking at half that.

So according to Nvidia's website the 750ti needs at least 20 amps on the 12volt rail. Now while normally I would probably try adding the gpu to your current setup if you had a reliable PSU in it, but you don't and you obviously don't have the money to waste on it so I'm just going to say No.

What you might want to consider is purchasing a PSU like this and save for either a normal 750 or for the 750ti

Best bet is to keep saving and buy parts as you can. Use the new PSU and GPU to play your game now but keep setting aside some money and buy a new motherboard and cpu when you can then memory, then a hard drive or SSD, and just keep plugging away until you have a kick ass gaming machine if that is what you want in the end. If not and you just want to play your CS:GO mod then you should be fine with the psu and gpu upgrades.
 
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Go for the 750ti. It's the best you can do without a new system from scratch.
 
$5 says he's running 32 bit windows as well making a memory upgrade a pain.
 
Climber said:
The answer is no. You're going to need a new PSU. While it is rated at 280 watts I'd be surprised if it is even 75% of that which is around 210 watts more than likely it will be even less than that. Your CPU is about 60 watts and under full load expect the 750ti to pull about 70 watts. So 130 watts just for that, add in the other components and you're looking at 150 maybe 160 max. However, what really matters is your 12v line which shows your PSU is capable of providing 18 amps on that line; however, because of the low quality of your PSU as well as its age you're probably looking at half that.

So according to Nvidia's website the 750ti needs at least 20 amps on the 12volt rail. Now while normally I would probably try adding the gpu to your current setup if you had a reliable PSU in it, but you don't and you obviously don't have the money to waste on it so I'm just going to say No.

What you might want to consider is purchasing a PSU like this and save for either a normal 750 or for the 750ti

Best bet is to keep saving and buy parts as you can. Use the new PSU and GPU to play your game now but keep setting aside some money and buy a new motherboard and cpu when you can then memory, then a hard drive or SSD, and just keep plugging away until you have a kick ass gaming machine if that is what you want in the end. If not and you just want to play your CS:GO mod then you should be fine with the psu and gpu upgrades.
Click to expand...

scojer said:
What game you trying to run?
Click to expand...

I can probably buy the 750ti and a PSU.

Is the PSU you posted superior to say a 600w for the same price? Or is it more about dimensions and fitting it in?


The game: http://youtu.be/7wMKm6hzj4s
 
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OP, any other games you want to play? I actually have a LAN box with a Pentium Dual Core (Core 2 Duo arch running at 1.8 Ghz I think?) and I have a modernish video card - Radeon HD-8550. I can yank the card from another computer (the computer it's sitting in is even worse - with an Athlon X2 4200) and see how it works if you want? But all I have any intentions of playing are older games on Windows XP.
 
jbltecnicspro said:
OP, any other games you want to play? I actually have a LAN box with a Pentium Dual Core (Core 2 Duo arch running at 1.8 Ghz I think?) and I have a modernish video card - Radeon HD-8550. I can yank the card from another computer (the computer it's sitting in is even worse - with an Athlon X2 4200) and see how it works if you want? But all I have any intentions of playing are older games on Windows XP.
Click to expand...

Honestly the only reason I want this is to play that one game. I might try CS:GO for the hell of it and maybe something else down the road but my only concern in regards to the upgrade is to play that one single game I posted in the You Tube video.

I'll pm you about your offer and ty
 
You can get a used setup on ebay for 150.00 look for a used AMD system they are out there =)
 
Comixbooks said:
You can get a used setup on ebay for 150.00 look for a used AMD system they are out there =)
Click to expand...

I looked and saw mostly Motherboards come up.

Are you saying to replace the Motherboard? If so won't I still need a GPU?



As long as it can run the game I don't care what it is.

Just to be clear. I do not want a fancy system.

I am willing to spend $150 Max.

I can buy a 750 TI GPU, a PSu and a CPU for $150 and I will be fine with that as long as it plays the game.
 
Yeah that is a pretty limited budget....I tired looking on ebay most semi decent systems are aroud 380.00 or so for a complete system.
 
Comixbooks said:
Yeah that is a pretty limited budget....I tired looking on ebay most semi decent systems are aroud 380.00 or so for a complete system.
Click to expand...

What is your opinion on my previous posts?

If I buy a 750 ti, a 400W PSU and maybe a $20 CPU.
 
I found these for sale locally.

Mobo + processor combo - ASUS Crosshair IV Formula motherboard + AMD Phenom II 6-core processor - $120 Also comes with several SATA cables and boxes to carry everything in.

DVD drive - ASUS dvd drive - $10

Laptop RAM - 2x 2gb sticks - $5 each

Video card - Radeon Sapphire 5850 Toxic Edition 1GB - $50 -.
 
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