12 réponses à ce sujet

[DragonLink789]

I'm looking to get my computer configured to play this game for the first time.  As it currently stands, my video quality is too slow.  So, after increasing the amount of available RAM, I figure the only thing left to try is getting a better video card.  I'm not really a PC gamer, but I loved playing Bioware's KOTOR and this game is supposed to be of equal quality, with this version considered the best of the 3 platforms.  I do not want uber quality here, just enough so everything goes smoothly.  I also do not want to have to change my power supply, because I'm on enough of a budget as is.  My current desktop PC is a Dell, running Windows XP, with a 305 W power supply.  What video card can I get that fits within my constraints?  I'm not that picky, I just really want to get going on this game already.

PS: My current video card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE, just so you know where I currently stand.

[RaenImrahl]

If you want proper advice, I suggest you consult the "READ ME" thread pinned towards the top of this forum and give us some more system information-- especially processor type and speed. That thread will show you how to find that info in Windows.

[DragonLink789]

Oh, more information was needed?  Okay.  Straight from the Diagnostic Tool, it says I've got an AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.0GHz.  I've also got 2 gigs of RAM, if that was important.

[RaenImrahl]

Thanks for the additional info. Here's the deal: Dragon Age: Origin is as much a CPU-intensive game as it is a GPU-intensive game. It uses its own engine, and that engine will tax your current CPU to a greater and greater extent as you try to increase graphics fidelity.  You are very close (CPU-wise) to the minimum specs for the game.  See http://social.biowar...8/index/7263473

So the bottom line is this: no matter how powerful a graphics card you get, your CPU speed will be the limiting factor on how smoothly the game runs. Certainly, a discreet graphics card will serve you better than the on-motherboard graphics chip you're using now... but I you might as well look for something older and relatively low-end by contemporary standards. I doubt that whatever you'd fine would tax your power supply too greatly.

Edit: as to a specific model, read this link:  http://social.biowar...58/index/128343

Modifié par RaenImrahl, 03 novembre 2012 - 03:16 .

[DragonLink789]

Thanks for the info.  Some of the places I was looking for cards said I'd need a 500 W power supply.  I was worried trying to pick a card out without knowing if my current power supply would support it.  One final question.  I know my computer is old, but will it be of any help if the card I get is 1 GB or 512 MB, compared to my current 256 MB.  I'm just going straight through the provided list of cards you linked to, and some of them are 256 MB when I go searching for them online. 

Modifié par DragonLink789, 03 novembre 2012 - 05:50 .

[RaenImrahl]

Since Bioware recommends 512MB for their recommended video card specs, I'd say you're safe with that. Again, no matter what you get, it will be the CPU speed that will ultimately be the limiting factor.

[DragonLink789]

Alright, I've decided to get an NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX 512 MB DDR3 Dual DVI HDTV Out PCI-E x16.  I also found plenty of cheap 9600's, but those seem to have loud fans and supposedly higher power requirements.  Better to be safe than sorry.  I REALLY don't want to have to worry about the power supply on my desktop computer.

EDIT: Hmm, looks like I'll need something else, too.  There's no 6-pin PCI Express cable on my power supply, so I'll need to get a separate cable it seems. *sigh* just one more purchase to add to the pile.  I really hope that's all I'll need.

Modifié par DragonLink789, 04 novembre 2012 - 03:34 .

[RaenImrahl]

DragonLink789 wrote...

EDIT: Hmm, looks like I'll need something else, too.  There's no 6-pin PCI Express cable on my power supply, so I'll need to get a separate cable it seems. *sigh* just one more purchase to add to the pile.  I really hope that's all I'll need.

You know... probably wouldn't hurt to make sure you have a PCI-E x 16 video card expansion slot on your machine's motherboard and not a vanilla PCI or AGP adapter.

And... fyi... Tigerdirect.com sells 500W power supplies for less than $40 these days, which include PCI-E power connectors.

[DragonLink789]

RaenImrahl wrote...

You know... probably wouldn't hurt to make sure you have a PCI-E x 16 video card expansion slot on your machine's motherboard and not a vanilla PCI or AGP adapter.

And... fyi... Tigerdirect.com sells 500W power supplies for less than $40 these days, which include PCI-E power connectors.

I've already confirmed my computer has the expansion slot.  The slot's not white, further away from the back wall, and has a lever on one side.  And like I said before, I REALLY don't want to get a new power supply.  This is not my computer alone, so I don't want to modify any more than I possibly need to.  I'm currently searching for the right cable to connect my power supply and video card, so if you have any info in that area, it will be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Hmm, it seems the 8600gt is another card I could get, and it doesn't need the extra cable.  It also seems to consume less power.  However, it was lower down on the list you provided.  Would the drop in quality be extremely noticable from the 7900gtx? Oh, and for some reason it says 'e-GeForce 8600GT' on the box.  What is that 'e-' there for?

Modifié par DragonLink789, 04 novembre 2012 - 05:13 .

[RaenImrahl]

DragonLink789 wrote...

Edit: Hmm, it seems the 8600gt is another card I could get, and it doesn't need the extra cable.  It also seems to consume less power.  However, it was lower down on the list you provided.  Would the drop in quality be extremely noticable from the 7900gtx?

Given the fact that your CPU is below minimum specs, I doubt you'd get the full potential out of either card.

[DragonLink789]

RaenImrahl wrote...

Given the fact that your CPU is below minimum specs, I doubt you'd get the full potential out of either card.

I am fully prepared for that, but I was just curious if having the card connected to the power supply directly would make any difference.  Plus, that e-GeForce label still seems bizarre to me.  I can't seem to find a description of it anywhere, although it is part of the EVGA brand.  Which makes me think its just an odd gimmick of theirs.

Edit: I've also found an MSI version of the 8600gt, so now I have another possibility.

Modifié par DragonLink789, 04 novembre 2012 - 06:48 .

[Just-Me]

Only nVIDIA and AMD continued producing the GPU chips used on gaming graphics cards after about 2004 or so. nVIDIA never did sell any completed cards, although for quite a few years, ATI sold their own brand, as well as supplying the chips to partner companies. The AMD gaming name is Radeon, and ATI is the previous brand name that was merged into AMD.

Geforce is the gaming chip sold by nVIDIA to its producer partners. The old Geforce 7900s were high end parts that needed plenty of power, more than what your PC can supply. The 8600 GT at the time it was new was a Medium power card wanting 350 watts worth of power supply, and a NEW one, at that. Of all the parts and pieces that go into a PC, the power supply is the shortest lived of all.

Just daily use will see its output drop about 10% each year, until it fails. Chances are that the one you now have has below the amount of current needed for ANY graphics card add-on of any kind, and was already way overdue for a replacement anyway.   If it hasn't quit by then, a five year old PSU that started out at 305 Watts is down to 180. 

That computer is now old enough that investing much of anything in it for upgrades is like throwing money into a storm drain to watch it swirl away.

Modifié par Just-Me, 04 novembre 2012 - 04:52 .

[DragonLink789]

Okay, I know you are just trying to help, but I have already confirmed that my machine can handle a graphics card upgrade.  The 8600gt is the way I'm going to go (less power consumption than the 7900), and plenty of people across the web say it works perfectly fine on a 305 W supply.  I even saw a video of guy upgrading his computer (just so I knew exactly how to do it myself) and he installed an 8600 into his machine, which was the exact same computer model as mine!  Right now I'm just trying to decide between MSI and EVGA brand.