You can buy a $300-400.00 PC and add $100.00 Graphic Card.
You can even spend $50-60.00 and replace the PSU with a 500 W
Graphics - a lot of cheap PC have integrated GPU. These are chips not cards. They use "shared memory". They're generally are not good for gaming. Now you can add a Graphic card to these systems. Look for a system with at least a 300 W PSU and 1 PCIE X16 slot. See if you can find one with a 450 W or better. HP/Compaq and Gateway seem to put more powerful PSU in their system so check them out. If the Salesperson doesn't know what PSU wattage is have them open the system. Do not buy slim-lines PCs. They are hard to upgrade. Look for a standard Mid-tower.
Graphic Gaming cards:
Entry level cards:
ATI HD 4650 and 4670 cards only need a 300 W PSU. Most of today's cheap PC has a 300 W PSU.
Nvidia Geforce 9600 GT needs a 400 W PSU.
All three of these cards usually do not need a 6 pin PCIE cable. Always check the box for system requirements.
STO Gaming level med. Price ranges on these cards are under $100.00. The ATI's usually a better choice here on a price/performance.
Mid Level cards:
ATI HD 4850, 5750, 5770 and the Nvidia 9800 GT, 9800 GTX, GTS 250 need a 450 W PSU with one 6 pin PCIE cable. Always check the box for system requirements. STO Gaming level High/Very High. Price Range $100-200.00.
High Ends;
Now you can install these cards yourself and save money. It's really not that hard. If you go this route just come back here and we'll help.
Today most PC's have dual cores CPUs and a lot have quad-cores. So just make sure the processor is at least a dual-core and the speed is at least 1.8 GHz or better. Better is better. AMD vs. Intel. To make the simple, don't worry about it. Just look for AMD Athlon x2, Phenom, Phenom II or Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad.
OK I found this: Just added Intel core 2 duo to my 9100
Base on this info and the BIOS A03 date of 08/11/06 you should be able to run any Intel Core 2 duo Conroe series cpus with a Release Date of July 27, 2006 or early. Any after that may won't work.
After flashing you BIOS you will need to disable disable HT in the bios for the Core 2 CPU to work. And use the CPU FAN that comes with whatever CPU you get.
I think you have a 375 W PSU. You will need to verify this. If so you can add a ATI HD 4650 or 4670. Next month the new 5650 and 5670 will be release. These cards are better then the GeForce 6800 you have.
If you want better cards then these you would need to replace the CPU.
Or just buy a refurbish PC with a Core 2 Duo. If you have craigslist check out.
Thanks for the information. If I understand correctly, I will need to upgrade my CPU and my video card, so it might be cheaper to run it on my mac. Here are the stats on my mac:
Hardware Overview:
Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB31.008E.B02
Thanks for the information. If I understand correctly, I will need to upgrade my CPU and my video card, so it might be cheaper to run it on my mac. Here are the stats on my mac:
Will this work in terms of hardware, and if so, what program would I need instead of VMware?
my friends comp has a pentium 4 processor and runs at 3.6, has 2 gig ram, and an ati radieon graphics card. He has been wanting to see if his comp really can runs it or not. If he cant then he'll go from there. Plz someone send me a messaga and answer my question.
my friends comp has a pentium 4 processor and runs at 3.6, has 2 gig ram, and an ati radieon graphics card. He has been wanting to see if his comp really can runs it or not. If he cant then he'll go from there. Plz someone send me a messaga and answer my question.
Zero, the forums here are the best place for help, not PMs. This way multiple people can help you faster than just one person.
As for your friend's PC, you'll need to tell us the ATI card's model number. Stating the brand doesn't help. And the CPU is nice and fast, but it's still a Pentium 4, which means lower settings. 2GB is fine, especially if they're running Windows XP.
Is there any computer on walmart.com that meets min requirements?
I'd completely avoid Walmart. The problem is that no two Walmarts are going to have the exact same selection, so suggesting one online won't help you locally. And if you're buying from Walmart online, there are hundreds of better options such as Newegg, Tiger Direct, and those are just retailers. If you want a solid PC, I'd use a builder with an online presence that installs the latest drivers and runs full tests on your PC before they ship it.
From what I looked up, boot camp is the standard (and free - good). If it doesn't work, I'm sure some mac user will post a thread. In regards to the graphics card, there is probably nothing I can do.
If the game sucks on my mac, I'll find a way to make it work somehow...
If you can find someone locally to build it for you (a friend or even a PC shop), that would work best. The only thing this is missing is a copy of Windows, which you can add on top of the price. You can also save $100 on this build by getting an Antec 300 case and an AMD Athlon II X2 CPU instead of the two I listed. That will pay for a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754
Would this processor and graphics card run the game, and if so how well?
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor TF-20
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics
3GB RAM
Memory size is the only thing that's ok there. Even then, it might be fairly slow memory consider the rest of the PC. That CPU is a single core CPU, so I'd recommend a new laptop (assume it's a laptop due to the CPU model). And the 3200 GPU is also very weak for STO.
Would this processor and graphics card run the game, and if so how well?
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor TF-20
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics
3GB RAM
From what I've read the TF-20 is not a dual-core processor. It is design for "ultrathin laptops". Minimum specs states a dual - core Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 3800+ 2 Ghz. Also that GPU is below specs too. If and that's a big IF STO can run on your system it will be at the very lowest settings and resolution.
This set of minimum specs leaves me pretty confused.
Specifically, this:
"Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 / ATI Radeon X1800 / Intel HD Graphics"
Now, maybe I'm missing something, but an Ati X1800 or better yet, Geforce 7950 are way beyond the performance of any Intel Graphics I can come up with by a significant margin.
If it means to say an NVIDIA geforce 7 series or ATI X1x00 series card, that's something rather different.
So what does it actually require? Because this doesn't make it at all clear.
An X1300 is about comparable to any Intel GPU I know of (unless It's something yet to be released), but that's about 8-10 times slower than an X1800, so it makes a huge difference.
Basically, does this need high end graphics hardware? (like it seems to imply with the first two options), or not?
Comments
How to Buy a Cheap Retail Gaming PC.
You can buy a $300-400.00 PC and add $100.00 Graphic Card.
You can even spend $50-60.00 and replace the PSU with a 500 W
Graphics - a lot of cheap PC have integrated GPU. These are chips not cards. They use "shared memory". They're generally are not good for gaming. Now you can add a Graphic card to these systems. Look for a system with at least a 300 W PSU and 1 PCIE X16 slot. See if you can find one with a 450 W or better. HP/Compaq and Gateway seem to put more powerful PSU in their system so check them out. If the Salesperson doesn't know what PSU wattage is have them open the system. Do not buy slim-lines PCs. They are hard to upgrade. Look for a standard Mid-tower.
Graphic Gaming cards:
Entry level cards:
ATI HD 4650 and 4670 cards only need a 300 W PSU. Most of today's cheap PC has a 300 W PSU.
Nvidia Geforce 9600 GT needs a 400 W PSU.
All three of these cards usually do not need a 6 pin PCIE cable. Always check the box for system requirements.
STO Gaming level med. Price ranges on these cards are under $100.00. The ATI's usually a better choice here on a price/performance.
Mid Level cards:
ATI HD 4850, 5750, 5770 and the Nvidia 9800 GT, 9800 GTX, GTS 250 need a 450 W PSU with one 6 pin PCIE cable. Always check the box for system requirements. STO Gaming level High/Very High. Price Range $100-200.00.
High Ends;
Now you can install these cards yourself and save money. It's really not that hard. If you go this route just come back here and we'll help.
Today most PC's have dual cores CPUs and a lot have quad-cores. So just make sure the processor is at least a dual-core and the speed is at least 1.8 GHz or better. Better is better. AMD vs. Intel. To make the simple, don't worry about it. Just look for AMD Athlon x2, Phenom, Phenom II or Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad.
You could read these two posts.
http://forums.startrekonline.com/sho...&postcount=736
http://forums.startrekonline.com/sho...95#post1098695
Oh, if you find a PC with an Nvidia GT 120 or GTS 130 card at your price range go for it.
$650 and washington state. Im lucky to get that one. I was told that graphics card was a great one.
What are the system requirements?
You were told wrong. Read what I wrote. What city? Check out Fry's in Renton, WA. They can build you a system.
Thanks for the information. If I understand correctly, I will need to upgrade my CPU and my video card, so it might be cheaper to run it on my mac. Here are the stats on my mac:
Will this work in terms of hardware, and if so, what program would I need instead of VMware?
Thanks.
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4154
You can do boot camp. Windows is the only supported OS. Search the forums. This has been cover a lot.
Zero, the forums here are the best place for help, not PMs. This way multiple people can help you faster than just one person.
As for your friend's PC, you'll need to tell us the ATI card's model number. Stating the brand doesn't help. And the CPU is nice and fast, but it's still a Pentium 4, which means lower settings. 2GB is fine, especially if they're running Windows XP.
I'd completely avoid Walmart. The problem is that no two Walmarts are going to have the exact same selection, so suggesting one online won't help you locally. And if you're buying from Walmart online, there are hundreds of better options such as Newegg, Tiger Direct, and those are just retailers. If you want a solid PC, I'd use a builder with an online presence that installs the latest drivers and runs full tests on your PC before they ship it.
From what I looked up, boot camp is the standard (and free - good). If it doesn't work, I'm sure some mac user will post a thread. In regards to the graphics card, there is probably nothing I can do.
If the game sucks on my mac, I'll find a way to make it work somehow...
Avoid anything Intel for your GPU. Look through this thread to see that repeated several times.
NVIDIA GT 220 is fine.
As for Pre-built PCs that cheap, you'd be hard pressed to find something reliable. There are options, though.
I selected parts of a similar priced PC for a friend in my fleet from components on Newegg:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13190946
If you can find someone locally to build it for you (a friend or even a PC shop), that would work best. The only thing this is missing is a copy of Windows, which you can add on top of the price. You can also save $100 on this build by getting an Antec 300 case and an AMD Athlon II X2 CPU instead of the two I listed. That will pay for a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754
I'd start making your rounds here and see what appeals to you.
Nice setup. I know the Nine Hundred, it's a great inexpensive SLI case. But how about Thermaltake V9 Black Edition instead. Toolless design.
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor TF-20
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics
3GB RAM
Memory size is the only thing that's ok there. Even then, it might be fairly slow memory consider the rest of the PC. That CPU is a single core CPU, so I'd recommend a new laptop (assume it's a laptop due to the CPU model). And the 3200 GPU is also very weak for STO.
One has a nice window to view the ugly steel interior. The other has a nice painted black interior but no window to view it. Hmmm.
Both are good cases. That Thermaltake is $10 more, but after MIR it's cheaper. The 900 has $50 sale off the top, making it tempting.
Meh. Christmas vacation = 18 days of no worries and any schedule I feel like.
Specifically, this:
"Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 / ATI Radeon X1800 / Intel HD Graphics"
Now, maybe I'm missing something, but an Ati X1800 or better yet, Geforce 7950 are way beyond the performance of any Intel Graphics I can come up with by a significant margin.
If it means to say an NVIDIA geforce 7 series or ATI X1x00 series card, that's something rather different.
So what does it actually require? Because this doesn't make it at all clear.
An X1300 is about comparable to any Intel GPU I know of (unless It's something yet to be released), but that's about 8-10 times slower than an X1800, so it makes a huge difference.
Basically, does this need high end graphics hardware? (like it seems to imply with the first two options), or not?
As you can tell I know almost nothing about computers.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_family.html