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Upgrade CPU or GPU
posted in Hardware
1
#1
0 Frags +

I want to play tf2 75+ fps w/ fps configs.
My current specs
AMD Athlon x2 240 2.8ghz (Dual Core)
2 GB RAM
ATI Radeon 3000 (Intergerated)

My current fps : 30-50, In empty room : 90-150

I want to play tf2 75+ fps w/ fps configs.
My current specs
AMD Athlon x2 240 2.8ghz (Dual Core)
2 GB RAM
ATI Radeon 3000 (Intergerated)

My current fps : 30-50, In empty room : 90-150
2
#2
8 Frags +

You'd pretty much have to upgrade both, and probably your motherboard+RAM as well.
TF2 uses CPU more than it does GPU, but an integrated GPU would surely be a huge bottleneck.

Edit: with both parts being so outdated, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference whether you upgrade either, as the other one will act as the bottleneck. Requires that you upgrade both.

You'd pretty much have to upgrade both, and probably your motherboard+RAM as well.
TF2 uses CPU more than it does GPU, but an integrated GPU would surely be a huge bottleneck.

Edit: with both parts being so outdated, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference whether you upgrade either, as the other one will act as the bottleneck. Requires that you upgrade both.
3
#3
1 Frags +

Both of those are so old you couldn't really upgrade them with anything new since all the new CPUs and GPUs wouldn't be compatible with your system. Considering there would be no CPU upgrades with that motherboard, your best bet would probably to go the GPU route. You would need to check if your motherboard has the necessary slots for a GPU upgrade, and if your PSU has the necessary power cables and power to support a newer video card. If your motherboard has a pci-e 2.0 slot and you have some spare GPU power cables from your PSU you could probably start researching video cards to choose from. It would probably still need to be an older one tho, as many of the new cards today are very power thirsty. Tbh tho with a computer that old it might just be better to save up until you can build a new computer.

Both of those are so old you couldn't really upgrade them with anything new since all the new CPUs and GPUs wouldn't be compatible with your system. Considering there would be no CPU upgrades with that motherboard, your best bet would probably to go the GPU route. You would need to check if your motherboard has the necessary slots for a GPU upgrade, and if your PSU has the necessary power cables and power to support a newer video card. If your motherboard has a pci-e 2.0 slot and you have some spare GPU power cables from your PSU you could probably start researching video cards to choose from. It would probably still need to be an older one tho, as many of the new cards today are very power thirsty. Tbh tho with a computer that old it might just be better to save up until you can build a new computer.
4
#4
-1 Frags +
KissakalaYou'd pretty much have to upgrade both, and probably your motherboard+RAM as well.
TF2 uses CPU more than it does GPU, but in an integrated GPU would surely be a huge bottleneck.

I wont play the game at highest setting, just low settings+fps configs. 75 fps

[quote=Kissakala]You'd pretty much have to upgrade both, and probably your motherboard+RAM as well.
TF2 uses CPU more than it does GPU, but in an integrated GPU would surely be a huge bottleneck.[/quote]
I wont play the game at highest setting, just low settings+fps configs. 75 fps
5
#5
0 Frags +

Budget?

Budget?
6
#6
1 Frags +
Apple1176KissakalaI wont play the game at highest setting, just low settings+fps configs. 75 fps

I know how you feel, as I used to have a really old crappy PC I played with for quite a while, and was trying to do the same thing. Unfortunately though, your best bets on increasing your FPS would be Windows XP (which is not being supported anymore), or just pretty much buying a new PC.

You can, however, get some okay-ish budget PC's for ~300-400 dollars/euros, which would be able to run the game with 75 fps. As TF2 is horrendously optimised, I can't guarantee that it's a lasting option though.

[quote=Apple1176][quote=Kissakala][/quote]
I wont play the game at highest setting, just low settings+fps configs. 75 fps[/quote]

I know how you feel, as I used to have a really old crappy PC I played with for quite a while, and was trying to do the same thing. Unfortunately though, your best bets on increasing your FPS would be Windows XP (which is not being supported anymore), or just pretty much buying a new PC.

You can, however, get some okay-ish [url=http://www.reddit.com/r/buildmeapc]budget PC's[/url] for ~300-400 dollars/euros, which would be able to run the game with 75 fps. As TF2 is horrendously optimised, I can't guarantee that it's a lasting option though.
7
#7
-12 Frags +

throw all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.

throw all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.
8
#8
-2 Frags +

Start with this. The CPU will handle your TF2, the processor alone will be able to handle a surprising amount of HD games @ 30fps (As long as you keep that 1866mhz RAM. Faster RAM = More frames with an APU) The GT 640 will suffice for anything else on a budget computer. That's as cheap as it gets really, I assume you've got a case, 99%(bs) of cases are ATX case, which can support micro-ATX. If not, grab one from school. That's the bare minimum and you'll get what you want out of it, probably more. Feel free to push the price a bit further on the video card, or if another motherboard catches your eye.

Potential revision option: Swap the 1866mhz RAM for a 2133 MHz RAM solution. You'll get even more frames out of that APU, it might even just triumph the use of the 640 GT. But, it's dependent on your resolution. Higher resolution = more calculations to do, more power to consume, less overall frames.

This list assumes you have:
A HDD, OS, Power Supply (Your phone can probably power this rig), Peripherals.

Hope this helps, as you have two options: Deal with it, or upgrade.

[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3QB0Q]Start with this.[/url] The CPU will handle your TF2, the processor alone will be able to handle a surprising amount of HD games @ 30fps (As long as you keep that 1866mhz RAM. Faster RAM = More frames with an APU) The GT 640 will suffice for anything else on a budget computer. That's as cheap as it gets really, I assume you've got a case, 99%(bs) of cases are ATX case, which can support micro-ATX. If not, grab one from school. That's the bare minimum and you'll get what you want out of it, probably more. Feel free to push the price a bit further on the video card, or if another motherboard catches your eye.

Potential revision option: Swap the 1866mhz RAM for a [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32133c10d8gxm]2133 MHz[/url] RAM solution. You'll get even more frames out of that APU, it might even just triumph the use of the 640 GT. But, it's dependent on your resolution. Higher resolution = more calculations to do, more power to consume, less overall frames.

This list assumes you have:
A HDD, OS, Power Supply (Your phone can probably power this rig), Peripherals.

Hope this helps, as you have two options: Deal with it, or upgrade.
9
#9
-1 Frags +

Dunno how he's gonna be able to use that RAM well. A lot of processors don't support above 1600 MHz well. IIRC The ivybridge was the only CPU able to natively support 1600 MHz when it came out, idk if that's the case anymore. Anything else you have to over clock the ram. If he does want/is able to do that he should get 2 sticks to dual channel

Dunno how he's gonna be able to use that RAM well. A lot of processors don't support above 1600 MHz well. IIRC The ivybridge was the only CPU able to natively support 1600 MHz when it came out, idk if that's the case anymore. Anything else you have to over clock the ram. If he does want/is able to do that he should get 2 sticks to dual channel
10
#10
0 Frags +

sky, mostly everything about your post is wrong.

Firstly, If you actually clicked on the hyperlinks and explored the parts, you'd find that the motherboard and CPU is capable of using those speeds. And APUs (Which is what the processor is) greatly benefit from higher memory bandwith. See what I'm trying to do? Yeah, he won't be able to use it until he goes into BIOS and unlocks the RAM from 1333 to 2133mhz, instantly making his experience better. It takes 30 seconds to do, and he gets his money worth. Out of the two sicks for DUAL channel. EDIT: Since the information across all review sites are unanimous, here's the shortest one for you to read. CLICK MOTHERFUCKER CLICK

Secondly, that processor is AMD. Not Ivybridge. That processor is fine, the difference between 'native' and 'overclocked' speeds on RAM that is factory made to perform at anything >1333mhz is done by literally turning it on in the BIOS. Every motherboard operates this way.

Nvm, which some research, I've concluded everything is wrong about your post.

sky, mostly everything about your post is wrong.

Firstly, If you actually clicked on the hyperlinks and explored the parts, you'd find that the motherboard and CPU is capable of using those speeds. And APUs (Which is what the processor is) greatly benefit from higher memory bandwith. See what I'm trying to do? Yeah, he won't be able to use it until he goes into BIOS and unlocks the RAM from 1333 to 2133mhz, instantly making his experience better. It takes 30 seconds to do, and he gets his money worth. Out of the two sicks for DUAL channel. EDIT: Since the information across all review sites are unanimous, here's the shortest one for you to read. [url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420043,00.asp]CLICK MOTHERFUCKER CLICK[/url]

Secondly, that processor is AMD. Not Ivybridge. That processor is fine, the difference between 'native' and 'overclocked' speeds on RAM that is factory made to perform at anything >1333mhz is done by literally turning it on in the BIOS. Every motherboard operates this way.

Nvm, which some research, I've concluded everything is wrong about your post.
11
#11
0 Frags +
brandbrandthrow all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.

AMD is actually a really good company and all he extra cores work very well for getting fps while streaming, I don't know why a lot of people here think AMD is shitty and intel is god.

[quote=brandbrand]throw all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.[/quote]
AMD is actually a really good company and all he extra cores work very well for getting fps while streaming, I don't know why a lot of people here think AMD is shitty and intel is god.
12
#12
3 Frags +
Fayngbrandbrandthrow all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.AMD is actually a really good company and all he extra cores work very well for getting fps while streaming, I don't know why a lot of people here think AMD is shitty and intel is god.

the rule of thumb i've always gone by is AMD is best for lower end budget builds, and intel is better for higher end builds

[quote=Fayng][quote=brandbrand]throw all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.[/quote]
AMD is actually a really good company and all he extra cores work very well for getting fps while streaming, I don't know why a lot of people here think AMD is shitty and intel is god.[/quote]

the rule of thumb i've always gone by is AMD is best for lower end budget builds, and intel is better for higher end builds
13
#13
0 Frags +
fsXDFayngbrandbrandthrow all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.AMD is actually a really good company and all he extra cores work very well for getting fps while streaming, I don't know why a lot of people here think AMD is shitty and intel is god.
the rule of thumb i've always gone by is AMD is best for lower end budget builds, and intel is better for higher end builds

And as a side note, if you ever get into top grade ricer bullshit like for-profit bitcoin mining (lol) and benchmarking the absolute highest performance hardware: they tend to exchange blows on the very cutting edge constantly. for example, AMD cards are typically much better at extremely parallel tasks like bitcoin mining, while nvidia has the highest performance card in terms of general 3D more often (but not at every point in time).

[quote=fsXD][quote=Fayng][quote=brandbrand]throw all of it away, ati/amd in general is a shitty company unless you get their best fucking graphics card but cpu wise, they suck, get intel, their are more power per core, they are hyper threaded, and tf2 only reads up to 4 cores, so amd/ati's special 6, 8, and 12 cores dont help. Im using intel i5 only 2.5 ghz, and integrated hd 4000 graphics card, and im getting about 120 fps without a config on dx 98 on highest settings, 200 on his high frames config, dont need to go high then that, and i run on an external monitor almost twice the size of my laptops monitor, so, yea, take my advice, and dont use amd ever again.[/quote]
AMD is actually a really good company and all he extra cores work very well for getting fps while streaming, I don't know why a lot of people here think AMD is shitty and intel is god.[/quote]

the rule of thumb i've always gone by is AMD is best for lower end budget builds, and intel is better for higher end builds[/quote]
And as a side note, if you ever get into top grade ricer bullshit like for-profit bitcoin mining (lol) and benchmarking the absolute highest performance hardware: they tend to exchange blows on the very cutting edge constantly. for example, AMD cards are typically [b]much[/b] better at extremely parallel tasks like bitcoin mining, while nvidia has the highest performance card in terms of general 3D more often (but not at every point in time).
14
#14
2 Frags +

Your best choice is probably an APU, but there isn't really a way to remedy this problem without spending a decent chunk of cash.

Your best choice is probably an APU, but there isn't really a way to remedy this problem without spending a decent chunk of cash.
15
#15
0 Frags +

yeah an apu would probably be the best bet considering how if you upgrade 1 the other will bottleneck your system. if u have the money get new ram, gpu, and cpu. if not then an apu or just a slightly better cpu like an i3

[s]yeah an apu would probably be the best bet considering how if you upgrade 1 the other will bottleneck your system. if u have the money get new ram, gpu, and cpu. if not then an apu or just a slightly better cpu like an i3[/s]
16
#16
0 Frags +

If you get a worthwhile upgrade you'll need a new motherboard anyway because of CPU socket standards. Dish in for a motherboard+APU combo.

If you get a worthwhile upgrade you'll need a new motherboard anyway because of CPU socket standards. Dish in for a motherboard+APU combo.
17
#17
0 Frags +

oh true wareya is right so it's probably not even worth messing with your system at this point either get the apu or just save up for a new build disregard my other post

oh true wareya is right so it's probably not even worth messing with your system at this point either get the apu or just save up for a new build disregard my other post
18
#18
0 Frags +

I would absolutely agree with the APU idea. The AMD APUs are great for the price, and the built in GPU is quite powerful. An APU without any extra video card will run TF2 perfectly, just be sure you get the fastest RAM you can, I'd suggest 8GB DDR3 2133MHz personally, as its not too much more to go for that speed and is very important for the on-chip GPU.

I would absolutely agree with the APU idea. The AMD APUs are great for the price, and the built in GPU is quite powerful. An APU without any extra video card will run TF2 perfectly, just be sure you get the fastest RAM you can, I'd suggest 8GB DDR3 2133MHz personally, as its not too much more to go for that speed and is very important for the on-chip GPU.
19
#19
0 Frags +
Apple1176KissakalaYou'd pretty much have to upgrade both, and probably your motherboard+RAM as well.
TF2 uses CPU more than it does GPU, but in an integrated GPU would surely be a huge bottleneck.
I wont play the game at highest setting, just low settings+fps configs. 75 fps

In that case, I would think that a GPU upgrade would be better than a new CPU. I played on a similar CPU for a year or so, and I was probably getting around that fps. Granted, that was in 2011 so it could have changed since then.

New motherboard + APU would most likely be the best for you. An i3 would be good I think, but I'm not sure about AMD's options.

[quote=Apple1176][quote=Kissakala]You'd pretty much have to upgrade both, and probably your motherboard+RAM as well.
TF2 uses CPU more than it does GPU, but in an integrated GPU would surely be a huge bottleneck.[/quote]
I wont play the game at highest setting, just low settings+fps configs. 75 fps[/quote]
In that case, I would think that a GPU upgrade would be better than a new CPU. I played on a similar CPU for a year or so, and I was probably getting around that fps. Granted, that was in 2011 so it could have changed since then.

New motherboard + APU would most likely be the best for you. An i3 would be good I think, but I'm not sure about AMD's options.
20
#20
0 Frags +
r4ptureI would absolutely agree with the APU idea. The AMD APUs are great for the price, and the built in GPU is quite powerful. An APU without any extra video card will run TF2 perfectly, just be sure you get the fastest RAM you can, I'd suggest 8GB DDR3 2133MHz personally, as its not too much more to go for that speed and is very important for the on-chip GPU.

believe me speed is not that much of an issue even if it is $10 more. i have 1333mhz ram and it holds up just as good. i'd suggest 1600 though since it is the middle end one

[quote=r4pture]I would absolutely agree with the APU idea. The AMD APUs are great for the price, and the built in GPU is quite powerful. An APU without any extra video card will run TF2 perfectly, just be sure you get the fastest RAM you can, I'd suggest 8GB DDR3 2133MHz personally, as its not too much more to go for that speed and is very important for the on-chip GPU.[/quote]

believe me speed is not that much of an issue even if it is $10 more. i have 1333mhz ram and it holds up just as good. i'd suggest 1600 though since it is the middle end one
21
#21
-2 Frags +
dMenaceStart with this.
This list assumes you have:
A HDD, OS, Power Supply (Your phone can probably power this rig), Peripherals.
[quote=dMenace][url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3QB0Q]Start with this.[/url]
This list assumes you have:
A HDD, OS, Power Supply (Your phone can probably power this rig), Peripherals.
[/quote]
22
#22
0 Frags +
dMenacedMenaceStart with this.
This list assumes you have:
A HDD, OS, Power Supply (Your phone can probably power this rig), Peripherals.

i dont understand the logic in quoting your own post that was minusfragged

[quote=dMenace][quote=dMenace][url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3QB0Q]Start with this.[/url]
This list assumes you have:
A HDD, OS, Power Supply (Your phone can probably power this rig), Peripherals.
[/quote][/quote]

i dont understand the logic in quoting your own post that was minusfragged
23
#23
2 Frags +

As if minusfrags mean anything?

I recommended an APU, and the consensus in the thread is that he should check out an APU. Go look at the list for yourself. I believe my suggestions for parts will satisfy his desire to get some good frames for TF2. So I went out of my way to give him a researched list so he can start trying to build his own rig if he has the money to pay for something more expensive. The only helpful post after it's clear he should get a new computer is -fragged. Huh.

As if minusfrags mean anything?

I recommended an APU, and the consensus in the thread is that he should check out an APU. Go look at the list for yourself. I believe my suggestions for parts will satisfy his desire to get some good frames for TF2. So I went out of my way to give him a researched list so he can start trying to build his own rig if he has the money to pay for something more expensive. The only helpful post after it's clear he should get a new computer is -fragged. Huh.
24
#24
0 Frags +

Any gpu upgrade will be bottle necked by the CPU and ram, your processor is AM3 socket which means you will be able to upgrade to any AM3 processor...

For ram upgrades I can't help without knowing the maximum amount of ram your motherboard accepts.

An apu would fit your needs well but you would need to upgrade your ram to a 8gbs and have high speed ram (1866mhz). This may cause you to upgrade your motherboard though.

Any gpu upgrade will be bottle necked by the CPU and ram, your processor is AM3 socket which means you will be able to upgrade to any AM3 processor...

For ram upgrades I can't help without knowing the maximum amount of ram your motherboard accepts.

An apu would fit your needs well but you would need to upgrade your ram to a 8gbs and have high speed ram (1866mhz). This may cause you to upgrade your motherboard though.
25
#25
-4 Frags +

Get a good apu? You would need a different motherboard.

Get a good apu? You would need a different motherboard.
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