worried about my specs for gaming

[crimson_bahamut]

I know that Diablo 3 hasn't released any minimum requirements, but when I run a "can you run it" system requirements lab test on several other recent games it tells me my processor isn't strong enough. I forget what wattage my power supply is but I upgraded it and it shouldn't be a problem. Anywho, here's my specs

Assus Essentio CM5570
Pentium Dual Core 2.6g E5300
NVIDIA Geforce 9500 GT
6g DDR2 memory

I'm sort of curious if I would have any problems replacing the processor I have now with like a phenom or something that has more ummph and/or if that will be enough to play newer high end games like Diablo 3 when it comes out.

 

[iFargle]

Chances are your socket can't handle a quad core (most prebuilt do the minimum requirements for the processor advertised). If you wanted to replace it with a Phenom, you'd have to buy an entirely new motherboard and most likely RAM. Same goes for an Intel quad core.

 

[Kharn]

Why was this placed in site feedback? I am moving it to the hardware area.

 

[crimson_bahamut]

thanks for the move. Sorry about my misplacement. I'm new to the forums and realized my blunder after it was too late.

My chipset type is Intel G35 Express. According to the Intel website my chipset type could handle a Intel core 2 Quad core processor. Would I need to update my BIOS or any other unforseen obstacle is my major concern. (Of course I could be completely lost on what a chipset type really means, but I am under the impression that processor's of the same chipset should share compatibility.

I'm not sure how to check but I think my socket is a 775.

 

[Yami]

If it takes a C2Q (Core 2 Quad), then you very likely will have to update the BIOS, but that's all.

 

[crimson_bahamut]

I am totally lost on how I would go about updating my BIOS for a quad core processor. Any of you guys have any hints or know of any good resources I can educate myself on the topic with?

 

[95BlackGA]

After looking through the available BIOS updates, it shows no need for an update to support a C2Q. There's actually a version that comes with the Core 2 Quad Q8200. The chipset SHOULD be the Intel G43, not the G35. Have you upgraded the motherboard at any time? Are you sure about your assumptions of the chipset? Expect a pretty hefty price tag when upgrading to a 775 socket quad core, the cheapest I have found (not searching a whole lot), was $180... If you're looking to do that, I would HIGHLY suggest a new motherboard and a Phenom II X4 955 (Black Edition, highly overclockable), or Athlon II X4 640/645.

To get a decent gaming PC, I would suggest upgrading to a quad core, and a new graphics card. The 9500GT is nothing in recent games basically, expect to be in the LOW FPS, with LOW details on most newer games.

My upgrade suggestions :

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX (If it overclocks anything like my unlocked cores Phenom II X2 555, essentially the same since it's unlocked to a quad, it'll be a beast for any game you throw at it. Even if it doesn't overclock that well, you don't need to worry 'cause it will still run great!)

Newegg.com - ASRock N68C-S UCC AM3/AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a Micro ATX AMD Motherboard (I chose this, 'cause it will use your DDR2 (Only 4GB of it though) you have now, and you can upgrade to DDR3 (up to 8GB) when funds become available)

= $160 + shipping

With a new graphics card

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX

Newegg.com - ASRock N68C-S UCC AM3/AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100297L Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ ATI Eyefinity Technology

= $270 + shipping

That compared to a $180 CPU only, and sub-par graphics, I would definitely go with the new motherboard, CPU and GPU, if the funds are available.

Your 9500GT currently ranks #72 on our (T-F's) Graphics Performance List. The 5830, which isn't listed in the Graphics Performance List, performs roughly around the same of a 4890, which is ranked 22.

 

[Druid]

I don't see your cpu bottlenecking you in Diablo III. I can see your gpu limitting you to low settings though.

 

[crimson_bahamut]

Awesome. Thanks for the info. I did notice the motherboard you reccomended came with NVIDIA parts and you reccomended a Radeon vid card. I had always heard that combining parts from the two companies can lead to compatibility issues and they don't perform as well when mix and matched, than they would if the all the parts were either uniform NVIDIA or uniform Radeon. Also, I basically went to the intel website and typed in the processor and referenced the socket there. I have tried to locate motherboard info when my comp boots up before, but to no avail. Lastly, I don't have any experience overclocking and would be hesitant to do so, but the parts you recommended seem like they should have a nice bang for the buck without being overclocked honestly. I might go with a different motherboard for better sound and I'm not sure it can hold all my RAM.