Help me decide which route to take, if any.

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bpfergu

n00b
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Oct 26, 2011
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Hey guys, looking for a bit of guidance. I'll try to keep this short, but it will probably end up being kind of long, so please be patient with me.

Trying to decide if I should keep using my laptop, fix my desktop, upgrade my desktop, or start from scratch.

Want to be able to play BF3 on high/ultra settings (and other games with similar demands). Desktop is currently having an issue and has been collecting dust for quite some time. I have been using my laptop for my gaming up to this point.

Laptop:

i7-920
8 gig RAM
Mobility HD 5870 GPU

It's been OK for most of my stuff up to this point, but it is struggling with BF3 some. I know if I want to get a better experience I'm going to have to go to a desktop.

My desktop, as it stands:

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 case
CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-1000HX 1000W PSU
2x SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 GPUs
Foxconn BloodRage LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 RAM
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
some big CPU cooler that was really good 2 years

The CPU and GPUs are slightly overclocked (CPU is I think 3.2/core and can't remember what GPUs are).

1. If I was to just get my desktop fixed as-is, how would it handle BF3?
2. If I need to upgrade, what would be the best recommendation?
3. If it is best for me to start from scratch, what parts could I salvage and what new parts would I need? No budget really.

I know there is a template to follow but I had kind of a weird series of questions so I didn't think it would format well in those questions.

Thanks!
 
1) Should handle it ok depending on what's the max resolution of your monitor.
2) Probably upgrade the GPUs in your desktop to something like the HD 6950 2GB
3) You can definitely reuse the case and PSU. The RAM is more than likely rated at 1.65V so that makes unsuitable for current Intel builds.
 
Thanks for the help so far guys.

Danny Bui said:
1) Should handle it ok depending on what's the max resolution of your monitor.
2) Probably upgrade the GPUs in your desktop to something like the HD 6950 2GB
3) You can definitely reuse the case and PSU. The RAM is more than likely rated at 1.65V so that makes unsuitable for current Intel builds.
Click to expand...

So if I decided to go with the 6950, I could just take out my current GPUs and plug it right in and it should work fine?

enginurd said:
+1

and what issues is your desktop having?
Click to expand...

I'd have to hook it back up to give you the specific error. But basically whenever I turn it on it gives me some weird message then shuts off. I googled the message and from what it sounded like some part of the mobo was messed up do to constantly hard-starting the computer on and off. This was because I was running a pre-release version of Windows 7, and after the trial ran out it would automatically shut itself after like an hour...so me, being the lazy, cheap person that I am, got used to this and whenever it was about to shut off I would just hard-restart my computer.

This may all be completely wrong but this is what I remember from when I looked into it before. I'll hook it up tonight and come back with better details.
 
you probably have a lot over-clocking left in that CPU. no need to start from scratch unless your mobo is fried. try resetting the CMOS and test the memory. hopefully the hdd is not failing.

as far as upgrades (provided you have a legit Win 7 license):
1. definitely upgrade the video card. that loud, hot monster is outdated.
2. imo, your memory is fine at 1.65v unless you have some extra $ to get a 1.5v kit. you may be able to squeeze a few more frames with bit of overclocking.
 
c1001 said:
you probably have a lot over-clocking left in that CPU. no need to start from scratch unless your mobo is fried. try resetting the CMOS and test the memory. hopefully the hdd is not failing.

as far as upgrades (provided you have a legit Win 7 license):
1. definitely upgrade the video card. that loud, hot monster is outdated.
2. imo, your memory is fine at 1.65v unless you have some extra $ to get a 1.5v kit. you may be able to squeeze a few more frames with bit of overclocking.
Click to expand...

Do I really need to overclock it much more? Will I see any difference in gameplay?

I guess from what it sounds like I'm going to keep everything as-is, and scrap the 2 GPUs and get a 6950 2 gb.

Will one be enough or is it worth getting a second and running xfire?
 
depends on the game.

what resolution is your monitor?

you can find sales on OEM Win7 for around $80. if you're a student, you might be able to get it for free or for $65 (pro upgrade version @ ultimatesteal). or you can search the FS/T forums and find them on sale for pretty cheap as well ($50+).
 
bpfergu said:
Do I really need to overclock it much more? Will I see any difference in gameplay?

Will one be enough or is it worth getting a second and running xfire?
Click to expand...

you don't need to overclock, but it's nice to have the option, and yes it can increase your performance 15-25%: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dual-quad,1720-19.html
Understand it is a tradeoff with potentially more heat/noise/instability.

if you can afford two cards, go for it!
 
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