How does my PC look?

R

RLich8

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 24, 2003
Messages
348
The PC in my sig is the current one I'm using. I've been out of the loop for a good couple of months now, and I'm just wondering if it's still matching up or not.

What are the weak points if any? If there are any, what should I upgrade? I'm looking to install Vista on it soon. More ram?

Thanks!
 
It's fine. Really.

Which monitor are you using? And why are you concerned that it may be underperforming right now?
 
I'm using a Samsung 2232BW. It's a sweet monitor, no complaints whatsoever. 3000:1 contrast, 2ms.

The reason I ask is because I just installed Vista 64 bit on it. As you probably guessed, this is a gaming PC. Would upgrading to 4gb of RAM be beneficial to me? The processor is overclocked. Will I run into any problems with the overclock by adding/changing memory? I just don't want to lose the speeds I'm getting.

Sorry if I'm coming off as a bit of a noob or it seems like I'm worrying about nothing.

Thanks man.
 
if you have 64 bit then you can get 4gb of ram. to tell you the truth your rig is pretty nice already. only "weak" point may be your video card if its the "old" 320/640mb versions but its still top of the line performing card. no need to upgrade really but if u must id say the ram.
 
How much memory does your 8800GTS have: 320MB, 512MB, or 640MB? As crhscoog alluded to earlier, that's most likely your weak spot.

If you have the 320MB card, you may want a better card (like, for example, the 512MB 8800GT); with the 640MB card, you may need to adjust the visual settings in some games; but you should be fine with the 512MB card, as it contains the newer G92 GPU (and can compete with the 8800GTX in some benchmarks/games).
 
Put it this way, although technology progresses quickly, I doubt that your card would suddenly become obsolete in just two months.
 
I have the 320mb card. Maybe I should pick up one of the newer 8800GTS's with 512mb and swap out my current ram for 4gb?

Any suggestions on ram?
 
I got some G.Skill (2X2gb) and its very nice but im not overcloking atm
 
I'm thinking the G.Skill is the stuff. I've got some in there now, and I have a 4GB kit for one of my laptops. I'm overclocking the processor, but I don't think I'm overclocking the ram. So I should be alright then, correct?
 
With the monitor that you have, you'd be better off with a better video card. Some suggestions (in order of level of improvement) are:

640MB (G80) 8800GTS* ==> HD 3870 ==> 512MB 8800GT ==> 512MB (G92) 8800GTS ==> 8800GTX*

* If you can find one of these cards for a good price used -- and don't buy them new, because the other three cards perform just as well for relatively less -- go ahead and get it. But, unlike the other three cards, they don't have built-in HD media encoding, which may or may not be a deal-breaker for you. Just do your homework beforehand... YMMV on used parts.

You can find a 4GB kit of DDR2 800 memory for under $100 nowadays (and some DDR2 1000 memory for not much more), so you may be able to get both at the same time. And you don't need to worry about overclocking the memory -- just keep it at stock levels or at a 1:1 FSB/RAM ratio and you'll be fine.
 
tiraides said:
With the monitor that you have, you'd be better off with a better video card. Some suggestions (in order of level of improvement) are:

640MB (G80) 8800GTS* ==> HD 3870 ==> 512MB 8800GT ==> 512MB (G92) 8800GTS ==> 8800GTX*

* If you can find one of these cards for a good price used -- and don't buy them new, because the other three cards perform just as well for relatively less -- go ahead and get it. But, unlike the other three cards, they don't have built-in HD media encoding, which may or may not be a deal-breaker for you. Just do your homework beforehand... YMMV on used parts.

You can find a 4GB kit of DDR2 800 memory for under $100 nowadays (and some DDR2 1000 memory for not much more), so you may be able to get both at the same time. And you don't need to worry about overclocking the memory -- just keep it at stock levels or at a 1:1 FSB/RAM ratio and you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

I think I'll probably just buy the ram from Newegg if I do decide to do it.

I should probably just go for the 1000mhz ram right? That won't fuck with my overclock will it? I still want to be able to keep it at 3.4 (I know it's meager for a 6420 but I don't like to push the envelope)
 
RLich8 said:
Am I cool with ebay? Or should I look on here or other PC forums for the card?

And I think I'll probably just buy the ram from Newegg if I do decide to do it.

I should probably just go for the 1000mhz ram right? That won't fuck with my overclock will it? I still want to be able to keep it at 3.4 (I know it's meager for a 6420 but I don't like to push the envelope)
Click to expand...

Regarding the RAM, for simplicity's sake, choose the same speed of RAM that you are currently using to maintain your OC. And for stability purposes -- because some boards (I don't know which ones, but it could happen to you) have issues when all of the RAM slots are used -- choose a dual-channel kit (2x2GB) instead of buying another pair of 1GB sticks.

As for the video card, go with what's comfortable to you. If you decide to look for a used card, check the forums first, as it's a bit easier to "research" the sellers beforehand. Keep in mind that if you do buy a used card, the card's warranty is not guaranteed to carry over to you, the new owner. (If you have any more questions about buying used stuff, send me a PM.)

But again, you need to upgrade the video card -- the memory is optional.
 
If you want to keep your OC and upgrade to 4GB, yes, you should get the DDR2-1000 g.skill kit, or any other kit that will offer that same performance.

E6420: 8 × 266 = 2.1Ghz, DDR2-533 << STOCK speeds
E6420: 8 × 333 = 2.6Ghz, DDR2-667 << Easy OC
E6420: 8 × 400 = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-800 << Nice OC
E6420: 8 × 425 = 3.4Ghz, DDR2-850 << Good OC
E6420: 8 × 450 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-900 << Great OC

Sell your old 2GB kit to help offset the cost of the new RAM. If you want better gaming performance, sell your old 8800GTS 320MB and pickup the new 8800GT 512MB instead.
 
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