Upgrading PC for GTA4! Opinions needed

[vince369]

Hey guys,

I've been thinking of upgrading my computer to run GTA4.
I've upgraded it before to run COH.

My current system is as follows:
Motherboard: ASUS M2V
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (stock speed of 2Ghz?)
RAM: Kingston 2GB (speed, not sure)
Graphics: Winfast nVidia PX7600GT 256mb internal

I doubt that can run GTA 4 so I'm thinking of upgrading both CPU and graphics card
AMD 6000 $125AUD

I'm really not sure about graphics card; they really confuse me sometimes. I know 8 series has Dx10..what is the 9 series? Apparently 8600GT is a dud, is that true?
I'm currently casually looking at ASUS nVidia 9600GT 512mb $159AUD

I want to spend as little money as possible..and if possible not upgrade at all if the game can run smoothly (>25fps)

I'm afraid to overclock because I've read about data corruption and my dad has his important files on that comp.

What do u guys think? Will the upgraded PC be sufficient to run GTA 4? Are there other options? Do I need to upgrade my motherboard also? (hope not)

Thanks~

 

[philbar71]

the 9 series are mostly rebranded 8 series. excecpt for the 9600's. look in to a 9600gso also if your trying to cut the costs a little more. try to get a card made by evga or xfx, as they are better than asus.

 

[Merkwürdigeliebe]

9600GT would be a good investment. If the 8 series were cheaper than the 9, I would say go for the 8, because (arguably) 9=8 according to nvidia (long story) but 9 series cards can be pretty cheap

try and shoot for an HD4850 instead though, I know that Australian prices are different, so please give us an idea of what you're other options might be..

 

[vince369]

Hey guys, thanks for the quick reply!

I can't find the 9600GSO on my local computer shop list but on ebay it's a nice cheap $140AUD inc postage!
But looking at www.LLY.get.to: GeForce 9600GSO vs 9600GT: Specifications Compared
I will be willing to pay $20 more to get the better GT and immediately as well (from local shop rather than postage)

I couldn't find HD4850 either but i did find ASUS 4850 512MB for $245AUD
and I found the HD4580 512MB on ebay for around $260-280AUD inc postage
That's a little out of my budget, but is it worth it? How does it compare to what I'm currently looking at, the 9600GT?

In terms of graphics cards, I really have no clue. In the past, I never knew what the numbers meant (I've only ever built one computer in my life and I bought the 7600GT second hand, been treating me well)..only now that I'm really researching into it that I can understand a bit of it, but even that it's mostly nVidia. However, I am still unsure what perks make a certain graphics card better than another, besides the obvious speed and memory space factors. I have much more to read up on =)

Hmm interesting..RE: the site i posted, the benchmark results (last page) showed that GSO performed better than GT "on average of 6.6%". But the GSO did have more memory in that test, I don't know how it affect the result.

EDIT: see this is why I don't get graphics cards, despite the specs, the GSO showed better results =S

 

[meat_helmet]

A HD4850 will beat a 9600GT by quite a large amount. A 9600GT performs about the same as my card, and a HD4850 would do probably about 30% better than that.

Still a 9600Gt should be able to play GT4 at at least medium i would think. If you do want an HD4850 though, MSY has one for $244 http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf and they have a 9600GT for $135. They are probably more trustworthy than ebay stuff.

 

[philbar71]

the 9600gso beat the 9600gt because it has more shaders. 96 for the 9600gso vs 64 for the 9600gt

 

[vince369]

A HD4850 will beat a 9600GT by quite a large amount. A 9600GT performs about the same as my card, and a HD4850 would do probably about 30% better than that.

Still a 9600Gt should be able to play GT4 at at least medium i would think. If you do want an HD4850 though, MSY has one for $244 http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf and they have a 9600GT for $135. They are probably more trustworthy than ebay stuff.

wow are you stalking me? lol there's an MSY near my house.
Thanks for that..I don't usually look at MSY pricelist cuz I find it messy and hard to follow. But I know they're cheaper than the other shop I was refering to (CPL)

I'm starting to consider the HD4850. I read it performs the same as the 9800GTX..but also something about how HD4850 overheats (or some problem with heat). Is this true? (Summer here will be the end of my comp lol)

 

[zedman3d]

Just go with the Generic 9800GT from MSY. (I go there often... to the Sydney Ultimo one at least...)

You wont regret it... i promise.
PS: Yeah the 4850 overheats sometimes but not if you crank the fan up to around 60-70% from its pitiful factory speed.

As for the CPU... grab a X2 5200+ from MSY again for under $90 and OC it. (Stock 2.7ghz)

 

[Merkwürdigeliebe]

maybe consider an HD4830 if cost is an issue, but I really don't know what the price differences are like over there, here in North America, it's not really worth it (Canada's price difference is only $40 between the 4830 and the 4850) so take all that into consideration.. the gap might be greater in Australian dollars..

 

[vince369]

Hey guys! Thanks for all you input.

I am going to buy the AMD 6000+ because although I'm a fan of overclocking, I'm super paranoid about data corruption as my dad has his important files on that comp as well. In other words, I'm more comfortable paying for the higher speed. + hassle not worth the $30. Also if I wanted to OC in the future, I can OC the 6000+ even higher! =D

For the graphics card, I'm leaning towards 4850 for $244 thanks to the suggestion of Merkwürdigeliebe and I've looked into the fan problem and i read it'll only take a few mins to crank it up.

I'll try n sell my 3800+ and 7600GT for $70-80ea on ebay hehe
All in all only spending about $230+ only =D

Are you sure I don't need to upgrade my motherboard...this IS the cheapest one that could support AM2 socket (big mistake, I know)

Thanks again!