I only just bought the computer to play Tales. I can't justify getting a new one until a couple of years or so.
Wait a second. The computer I see in the dxdiag is like 6 years old technology wise. You bought that recently?
There is actually a very good chance that the Radeon 4550 will work with your 240W Power supply.
There are some nice specs of that system. Your's is the "Small Form Factor" one.
It lists some optional graphics cards, e.g. the X300 SE which should need about 30 watt max too.
In any case you should measure the physical space available for the graphics card.
For the PCI Express x16 slot the specs say 1 low-profile (2.5"), length (6.6")
Though it looks plausible, it would be safer to measure the length (red), because it looks a little short. Therefore besides being low profile take a good look at the length of graphics cards you consider to buy.
Thanks! I'll measure that as soon as my husband isn't using it.
Yes, we bought it recently, but it's not new, either. I (almost) never buy new electronics, because the construction is one of the most polluting part (I added almost, because I bought my mp3 player new, but it's a crank mp3 player so it doesn't require electricity. So I decided it was worth it).
I went to the store after writing down all the requirements and asked for a computer that met all of these and could be upgraded to better. I guess the one I got wasn't ideal if the components are six years old. Yikes. On the other hand, I'm glad they're getting more use. I'm always so sad about computers. My TV in France was over 25 years old and worked perfectly (and since it was a PAL, if I may say, the image looked much better than HD does here on NTSC). My parents' washing machine was older than me and worked fine. My best friend's car was at least 30.
But computers, it seems you need to buy a new one every other year or so :S
Anyway, next time I'll try buying parts, I think. It will take some research but in the end I'll get exactly what I want, which is always better than getting a whole thing that might be lacking something you want, and worse have something you don't need.
Anyway, I'll measure carefully and checked the models you mentioned. Thanks a lot guys. I know I'm computer illiterate, no, scratch that, computer analphabetic. I can really appreciate how patient you are.
Just wanted to say that a 4550 isn't a screamer. Afterall it has only a 64bit memory interface, whilst the 4650 doubles that which makes a huge difference. If possible you should go for a 4650.
Watt wise this shouldn't be a problem as they, if i rememer correctly, peak around 65 Watt (PCI-E supports 75 Watt). You also shouldn't get a card with less than 512MB. The length of the cards depends on the vendor often due to their weird heatsink designs. Club3D, Diamond, MSI cards were one of the shorter ones.
You definately should measure the space and ask/look this up before but i suspect that if choosing the right one it should fit in. Another question would be if the fan design of the computer is good enough getting the heat out. Hard to say as there is not this much space but if the airflow is well designed then it might work. If you're knowing your system, can't you give the vendor a call/email him?!
It's easy finding this out when you can hold your hand into the sytem whilst it's running but so...
For gfx cards you mainly have to care about what the 12V rails deliver. This normally can be looked up in the manual or on the power supply. I've seen good 350W power supplies with 3850/4850 cards running intensive 3d stuff without any problems for hours where some noname or bad layed out 400/450 Watt power supplies failed.
As it's HP i would suspect that they layed out the system in a way that PCI-E also can deliver the specified 75 Watt. It also doesn't look as there are a lot of other things inside, moreover in practice you're also not running with peak performance all the time.
Personally i would dare it, measuring the space, looking up a short card and if i'm still suspicious giving the vendor a call.
And for a well balanced gaming system you nowadays should preferable spend more money on the gfx card and less on the CPU whilst going with a mainstream memory configuration.
Okay - I want to pop in with a question. My computer would be great - if the guy at best buy didn't trick me into thinking a 9100 Nvidia is better than an 8600. Now I have to buy and install another video card seperately. I'm totally fine with that, but I AM REALLY AFRAID TO TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE COMPTUER! IT COULD BREAK OR SOMETHING!
I'm totally fine with that, but I AM REALLY AFRAID TO TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE COMPTUER! IT COULD BREAK OR SOMETHING!
If you avoid dropping hammers and coffee inside, it should be fine. Make sure you watch a video of someone doing it first so you know what you're supposed to do.
Yes. (I was wondering whether to say "RAM" or "memory" and settled with "system memory". Oh well.)
Sorry I guess I'm not very consistent in what words I do or don't know.
RAM is standardised though, right? I don't have to worry about buying the right size and everything? Now I'm getting paranoid about things like that lol. Although it's probably a good thing since t's better than buying something I can't even use.
... Does RAM use watts too? If I wanted to upgrade it on my current computer (which I've been wanting to do as well), would it be possible or would that require a Power Supply change too?
Also, I went and measured it, 3 inches tall for the metallic thing that you remove when you put the card in (sorry I'm not sure what it's called), and 7 inches of room for the card itself (although only a portion of it is the PCI slot, but I'm assuming that's normal and that the card extends beyond just the slot).
Okay - I want to pop in with a question. My computer would be great - if the guy at best buy didn't trick me into thinking a 9100 Nvidia is better than an 8600. Now I have to buy and install another video card seperately. I'm totally fine with that, but I AM REALLY AFRAID TO TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE COMPTUER! IT COULD BREAK OR SOMETHING!
Not that i read a question but it's a commom problem as nVIDIA is rebranding their cards since quite some time. Not that i dislike nVIDIA but that's just bad.
Maybe you could ask a friend giving you a hand or maybe there is a computer store around where you could ask nicely and taking the computer with you? I'm sure you can also find some videos via google (quick try, searched for "how to install a graphics card on youtube"):
RAM is standardised though, right? I don't have to worry about buying the right size and everything? Now I'm getting paranoid about things like that lol. Although it's probably a good thing since t's better than buying something I can't even use.
If you buy separate components for a new computer, you will need to check if the RAM matches it. For example, there are basically two types of desktop RAM right now: DDR2 (older) and DDR3 (newer). Some motherboards only support DDR3, while some motherboards support both DDR2 and DDR3, and some older ones will only support DDR2.
... Does RAM use watts too? If I wanted to upgrade it on my current computer (which I've been wanting to do as well), would it be possible or would that require a Power Supply change too?
Everything uses power, but RAM doesn't use enough to make a difference in your power supply selection. The graphic card is really the only component that can change your PSU wattage needs.
Also, I went and measured it, 3 inches tall for the metallic thing that you remove when you put the card in (sorry I'm not sure what it's called), and 7 inches of room for the card itself (although only a portion of it is the PCI slot, but I'm assuming that's normal and that the card extends beyond just the slot).
Yeah, the card will go beyond, but the smaller cards won't go beyond by that much. Sounds like the cards linked above should fit.
Personally i would dare it, measuring the space, looking up a short card and if i'm still suspicious giving the vendor a call.
I also think that a 4650 could work if the other components don't require too much. Combining information from the specs and your dxdiag you should have a Pentium 4 560, which takes 115W max. The other components (Mainboard,Memory,HDD,...) maybe take 50-60W which would leave 65-75W for a graphics card.
That's just an educated guess though and I would prefer to know the power usage of the system at full cpu load.
You don't happen to have something like this, avistew?
Based on the consumption we could roughly estimate how much more the power supply could deliver.
If it's to high, and since there might not be a better replacement Power Supply, it could also be an crazy option to buy a more energy efficient CPU to make more room for the graphics card. I don't know much about Intel CPUs though to tell if the 775 Socket on your Mainboard and its BIOS get along with recent models.
You don't happen to have something like this, avistew?
No, but my inlaws might. I'll make sure to ask them.
You just plug the computer in it and look at the numbers that appear? That looks simple enough even for me.
Yeah, basically. Just make sure you don't loosen any other cables and you'll be fine.
Also
- don't drop any screwdrivers in there while working
- make sure you got rid of any static buildup before going to work
- don't screw the mainboard directly to the backplate without spacers
- don't force the power cables in in the wrong orientation (needs LOADS of force, though, but people have managed anyhow)
- don't forget putting thermal grease between the CPU and it's heatsink
Well, that's all I can currently think off from the top of my head...
(Oh, and forget about water cooling that sucker, it's more hassle than it's worth - been there, done that, still have the bulky radiator standing around as a memento never to do it again... and yes, I've been building/upgrading computers for almost two decades now...)
np: Iso 68 - Until Recalled (Remix) (Contriva - 8 Eyes ('96 - '99) Remixes)
Heh, you don't have to worry about things like that unless you're building your entire system yourself. Dropping in a new graphics card doesn't involve those precautions.
The "don't lose a screw" one is valid, and don't go scuffing your feet on shag carpeting before opening your case, either.
The "don't lose a screw" one is valid, and don't go scuffing your feet on shag carpeting before opening your case, either.
Hey, the "don't drop the screwdriver in there" is also very relevant when you're swapping graphics cards, at least when you put the case on the side for easier access...
np: Bizzy B & Equinox - The Brain Crew V.I.P. (Bizzy B - Retrospective)
Hey, the "don't drop the screwdriver in there" is also very relevant when you're swapping graphics cards, at least when you put the case on the side for easier access...
That's what I meant by "valid" -- dropping screws is something to watch out for when changing graphics cards.
Well, I can tell you some of my experiences with Tales. It has taken 4 video card upgrades (no joke) for Tales to finally work without lag. Luckily I've just gotten profit off all of them anyway, so no money is lost. I know the game isn't supposed to be graphically demanding, but seriously, its like trying to run Crysis! Anyway, the only video card that i have seen living proof of working fine is the 4850 from ATI. I'm running it windowed, coz full screen has mouse lag, but yeah I can play it maxed without problems. So I would try and go for that card. Btw, Tales was not the only game I had mouse lag. Ghost Pirates had it too.
I somehow enjoy playing adventures on old computers, played Sam&Max S1 for instance on a Geforce 3 and Tales of Moneky Island on a 3850. I did not experience any problems with the mouse there, beside of the missing point&click of course. :O)
Whilst TOMI looked better at high settings, especially depth of field added to the atmosphere, it also isn't really worth all the trouble. I think you can enjoy the game on lower settings as well. I also would agree that for the quality the engine outputs, it seemed a little bit demanding.
Anyway, i can be a gfx whore but this strongly depends on the type of game. In adventures i'm primary looking for something different.
Anyway, the only video card that i have seen living proof of working fine is the 4850 from ATI. I'm running it windowed, coz full screen has mouse lag, but yeah I can play it maxed without problems.
What resolution are you running at?
What exact Manufacturer/model is your card?
I have this one and i am Running ToMI at 1920x1200, fullscreen, Quality 9 with 8x Box AA, 16x AF, No Catalyst A.I., Mipmap High Quality, Vertical Refresh on, Adaptive AA off, No Triple Buffering.
I notice no lag whatsoever in mouse movement or graphics.
In normal scenes like running around the Dock at Flotsam or Spinner Cay i have ~55-60fps. In the demanding opening scene of Screaming Narwhal it occasionally shortly drops to 45fps, still without any obvious lag.
It's even better when i just use the graphics cards default settings, but i chose these based on a compromise between looks and performance.
What resolution are you running at?
What exact Manufacturer/model is your card?
I have this one and i am Running ToMI at 1920x1200, fullscreen, Quality 9 with 8x Box AA, 16x AF, No Catalyst A.I., Mipmap High Quality, Vertical Refresh on, Adaptive AA off, No Triple Buffering.
I notice no lag whatsoever in mouse movement or graphics.
In normal scenes like running around the Dock at Flotsam or Spinner Cay i have ~55-60fps. In the demanding opening scene of Screaming Narwhal it occasionally shortly drops to 45fps, still without any obvious lag.
It's even better when i just use the graphics cards default settings, but i chose these based on a compromise between looks and performance.
Well, I'm running the game at 1280x720 windowed. It runs fine with that. My card is the Powercolor version. i have a 19 inch monitor, 4 gigs of ram, and an intel Core2Duo 3ghz CPU.
Well, I'm running the game at 1280x720 windowed. It runs fine with that. My card is the Powercolor version. i have a 19 inch monitor, 4 gigs of ram, and an intel Core2Duo 3ghz CPU.
I can't really figure out why your mouse lags in Full screen then. Is it extremely strong or just barely noticeable?
its quite draggy. It just doesnt feel fluid.
EDIT: Anyways, I tried the game at 1600x900 screen resolution windowed, and it works fine at the highest quality setting. I actually prefer windowed mode when playing games, as it allows me to do other things while playing, or skip credits that are otherwise unskipable. Enough of my computer issues, we should be focusing on helping Avistew find the right video card.
You don't happen to have something like this, avistew?
Based on the consumption we could roughly estimate how much more the power supply could deliver.
Okay, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to try and do special stuff while using it. It shows 70 watts right now, and the highest it's been since I started the computer was 161. Should I do something in particular and see how high it gets or is that enough information already?
Comments
Wait a second. The computer I see in the dxdiag is like 6 years old technology wise. You bought that recently?
There is actually a very good chance that the Radeon 4550 will work with your 240W Power supply.
There are some nice specs of that system. Your's is the "Small Form Factor" one.
It lists some optional graphics cards, e.g. the X300 SE which should need about 30 watt max too.
In any case you should measure the physical space available for the graphics card.
For the PCI Express x16 slot the specs say 1 low-profile (2.5"), length (6.6")
Though it looks plausible, it would be safer to measure the length (red), because it looks a little short. Therefore besides being low profile take a good look at the length of graphics cards you consider to buy.
I think one of these cards could fit:
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550 512MB
MSI Radeon HD 4550 1GB
Devil's Playhouse will require 256MB of video RAM, so either card has enough memory to handle it.
EDIT: Will corrected himself -- you only need 128MB of Video RAM for Season 3.
Yes, we bought it recently, but it's not new, either. I (almost) never buy new electronics, because the construction is one of the most polluting part (I added almost, because I bought my mp3 player new, but it's a crank mp3 player so it doesn't require electricity. So I decided it was worth it).
I went to the store after writing down all the requirements and asked for a computer that met all of these and could be upgraded to better. I guess the one I got wasn't ideal if the components are six years old. Yikes. On the other hand, I'm glad they're getting more use. I'm always so sad about computers. My TV in France was over 25 years old and worked perfectly (and since it was a PAL, if I may say, the image looked much better than HD does here on NTSC). My parents' washing machine was older than me and worked fine. My best friend's car was at least 30.
But computers, it seems you need to buy a new one every other year or so :S
Anyway, next time I'll try buying parts, I think. It will take some research but in the end I'll get exactly what I want, which is always better than getting a whole thing that might be lacking something you want, and worse have something you don't need.
Anyway, I'll measure carefully and checked the models you mentioned. Thanks a lot guys. I know I'm computer illiterate, no, scratch that, computer analphabetic. I can really appreciate how patient you are.
Watt wise this shouldn't be a problem as they, if i rememer correctly, peak around 65 Watt (PCI-E supports 75 Watt). You also shouldn't get a card with less than 512MB. The length of the cards depends on the vendor often due to their weird heatsink designs. Club3D, Diamond, MSI cards were one of the shorter ones.
You definately should measure the space and ask/look this up before but i suspect that if choosing the right one it should fit in. Another question would be if the fan design of the computer is good enough getting the heat out. Hard to say as there is not this much space but if the airflow is well designed then it might work. If you're knowing your system, can't you give the vendor a call/email him?!
It's easy finding this out when you can hold your hand into the sytem whilst it's running but so...
- graphic card
- power supply
- CPU
- bigger case
- get parts and put them together rather than get something already made
Anything else? Simply from the "I want to be able to play telltale games" angle.
As it's HP i would suspect that they layed out the system in a way that PCI-E also can deliver the specified 75 Watt. It also doesn't look as there are a lot of other things inside, moreover in practice you're also not running with peak performance all the time.
Personally i would dare it, measuring the space, looking up a short card and if i'm still suspicious giving the vendor a call.
Is "system memory" the same as RAM?
If you avoid dropping hammers and coffee inside, it should be fine. Make sure you watch a video of someone doing it first so you know what you're supposed to do.
Sorry
RAM is standardised though, right? I don't have to worry about buying the right size and everything? Now I'm getting paranoid about things like that lol. Although it's probably a good thing since t's better than buying something I can't even use.
... Does RAM use watts too? If I wanted to upgrade it on my current computer (which I've been wanting to do as well), would it be possible or would that require a Power Supply change too?
Also, I went and measured it, 3 inches tall for the metallic thing that you remove when you put the card in (sorry I'm not sure what it's called), and 7 inches of room for the card itself (although only a portion of it is the PCI slot, but I'm assuming that's normal and that the card extends beyond just the slot).
Maybe you could ask a friend giving you a hand or maybe there is a computer store around where you could ask nicely and taking the computer with you? I'm sure you can also find some videos via google (quick try, searched for "how to install a graphics card on youtube"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9x097QRXeA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9nIVW5W3K4&feature=related
:
Everything uses power, but RAM doesn't use enough to make a difference in your power supply selection. The graphic card is really the only component that can change your PSU wattage needs.
Yeah, the card will go beyond, but the smaller cards won't go beyond by that much. Sounds like the cards linked above should fit.
I also think that a 4650 could work if the other components don't require too much. Combining information from the specs and your dxdiag you should have a Pentium 4 560, which takes 115W max. The other components (Mainboard,Memory,HDD,...) maybe take 50-60W which would leave 65-75W for a graphics card.
That's just an educated guess though and I would prefer to know the power usage of the system at full cpu load.
You don't happen to have something like this, avistew?
Based on the consumption we could roughly estimate how much more the power supply could deliver.
If it's to high, and since there might not be a better replacement Power Supply, it could also be an crazy option to buy a more energy efficient CPU to make more room for the graphics card. I don't know much about Intel CPUs though to tell if the 775 Socket on your Mainboard and its BIOS get along with recent models.
That would have been the perfect opportunity to post this video: Memory IS RAM
Although it would be a rude answer, of course.
No, but my inlaws might. I'll make sure to ask them.
You just plug the computer in it and look at the numbers that appear? That looks simple enough even for me.
(Had that happen once or twice -- drove me crazy trying to find the problem.)
It's also a good idea to uninstall the old video drivers and related software first.
- don't drop any screwdrivers in there while working
- make sure you got rid of any static buildup before going to work
- don't screw the mainboard directly to the backplate without spacers
- don't force the power cables in in the wrong orientation (needs LOADS of force, though, but people have managed anyhow)
- don't forget putting thermal grease between the CPU and it's heatsink
Well, that's all I can currently think off from the top of my head...
(Oh, and forget about water cooling that sucker, it's more hassle than it's worth - been there, done that, still have the bulky radiator standing around as a memento never to do it again... and yes, I've been building/upgrading computers for almost two decades now...)
np: Iso 68 - Until Recalled (Remix) (Contriva - 8 Eyes ('96 - '99) Remixes)
whut
The "don't lose a screw" one is valid, and don't go scuffing your feet on shag carpeting before opening your case, either.
np: Bizzy B & Equinox - The Brain Crew V.I.P. (Bizzy B - Retrospective)
Whilst TOMI looked better at high settings, especially depth of field added to the atmosphere, it also isn't really worth all the trouble. I think you can enjoy the game on lower settings as well. I also would agree that for the quality the engine outputs, it seemed a little bit demanding.
Anyway, i can be a gfx whore but this strongly depends on the type of game. In adventures i'm primary looking for something different.
What resolution are you running at?
What exact Manufacturer/model is your card?
I have this one and i am Running ToMI at 1920x1200, fullscreen, Quality 9 with 8x Box AA, 16x AF, No Catalyst A.I., Mipmap High Quality, Vertical Refresh on, Adaptive AA off, No Triple Buffering.
I notice no lag whatsoever in mouse movement or graphics.
In normal scenes like running around the Dock at Flotsam or Spinner Cay i have ~55-60fps. In the demanding opening scene of Screaming Narwhal it occasionally shortly drops to 45fps, still without any obvious lag.
It's even better when i just use the graphics cards default settings, but i chose these based on a compromise between looks and performance.
Well, I'm running the game at 1280x720 windowed. It runs fine with that. My card is the Powercolor version. i have a 19 inch monitor, 4 gigs of ram, and an intel Core2Duo 3ghz CPU.
They have different 4850 models. Does yours have 512MB or 1GB Memory?
Mine is 1GB of DDR3 memory.
I can't really figure out why your mouse lags in Full screen then. Is it extremely strong or just barely noticeable?
its quite draggy. It just doesnt feel fluid.
EDIT: Anyways, I tried the game at 1600x900 screen resolution windowed, and it works fine at the highest quality setting. I actually prefer windowed mode when playing games, as it allows me to do other things while playing, or skip credits that are otherwise unskipable. Enough of my computer issues, we should be focusing on helping Avistew find the right video card.
Okay, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to try and do special stuff while using it. It shows 70 watts right now, and the highest it's been since I started the computer was 161. Should I do something in particular and see how high it gets or is that enough information already?