Should I get this new system.

[FIREBALL ROBERT]

My current system is from 2001. Pentium4 2.0GHz. 512 ram. 64MB nvidia GeForce3 TI 200.

BTS runs OK on standard map until late in the game, when it slows down. Larger maps slow down sooner. This is on lowest settings, no movies, etc.

I am thinking about getting a INTEL Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.5 GHz, 6 GB of SDRAM, and a ATI RADEON HD 4350 512MB. This will have WINDOWS 7.

Does anyone foresee any problems or have experience with a same or similar system?

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

You shouldn't have a problem with the machine you quoted, though a better video card might be worth it if you play any big, fancy games. Maybe a Radeon 45xx, 46xx, or 47xx series card. Something with more than a 64 bit interface. A 4350 is pretty low-end, and depending on the manufacturer, they tend to overheat under load.

You can also save a lot of money by going with an AMD platform, rather than Intel. Yes, yes, I know. My partner has a pair of Nehalems, and she never lets me hear the end of it, but the fact is, you get almost the same performance out of an AMD CPU as you do out of a similar Intel chip. Especially with the Phenom II series. I'll put my Phenom II 965 up against almost any Intel chip. (No! Not against the i7! Or the i5!!! No!!! )

The fact is, if you compare the scores, both brands are very good at specific little "niche" type things. One is good at this, but not that, while the other is the opposite. Frankly, after you get past 3 GHz, you don't really notice a difference in performance anyway.

With that in mind, this is the only real advice I would give:

Lemon's Law of Computing Value:

Don't buy an OEM "brand name", off-the-shelf computer, like a Dell, or HP, or whatever. Buy all of the parts and build it yourself. You'll get much more "bang for your buck" that way, and you'll get exactly what you want. And your version of Windows will be pure and generic, without all of the OEM weirdnesses and problems that accompany the "brand name" models.

EDIT: Ignore all of this if the machine you're talking about is a laptop.

 

[FIREBALL ROBERT]

Thanks for the info LM.

The system I am considering is a Dell.

I should have posted that I use my computer for BTS and a couple of other games that were old when Civ4 Vanilla came out. I also do some word processing and record keeping. Since my current home connection is dial-up, I do my net surfing at work. That may change since retirement is only a couple years away. I will not buy CIV5 the day it comes out: I will wait for a GOLD or COMPLETE edition. I do not play shooter games or real-time strategy games. Given these uses, I do not think I need a high performance system. I have added ram to my current computer, but to build a new one scares the stuffing out of me.

Again thanks for your expertise.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

If you aren't comfy with building it yourself, any decent computer shop will be able to make a custom machine for you. The prices are comparable to brand names, and you can specify exactly what you want. More for your dollar all the way around.

And heck, if I can do it, so can you.

 

[Gumbolt]

I dont think civ4 is graphics heavy!! 6GB of ram sounds a overkill for civ4. Then again future proofing yourself is not bad. I suspect 2-4gb would be ample for ram.

Nehalems chips from Intel will eat up the phenom II chips in certain apps. The downside is cost of them. Amd platforms are much cheaper to build and you get bang for buck!! ATI graphics seems the way forward these days as they are out performing rivals according to the reviews.

Have a look at reviews on anandtech.com and other review sites like toms hardware etc.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Nehalems chips from Intel will eat up the phenom II chips in certain apps. The downside is cost of them. Amd platforms are much cheaper to build and you get bang for buck!!

My partner's Nehalems will absolutely destroy my Phenom II at certain things, a fact that she just loves to rub my nose in.

That's when I point out that my system cost six times less than hers, and I do this:

Of course, mine isn't powered by a quantum singularity like hers is (yet), but I'm working on it.

 

[ghostmaker650]

My partner's Nehalems will absolutely destroy my Phenom II at certain things, a fact that she just loves to rub my nose in.

I'm sorry but I found it really funny after reading that (don't ask me why )

 

[Gumbolt]

My partner's Nehalems will absolutely destroy my Phenom II at certain things, a fact that she just loves to rub my nose in.

That's when I point out that my system cost six times less than hers, and I do this:

Of course, mine isn't powered by a quantum singularity like hers is (yet), but I'm working on it.

The Phemom are certainly good value. Yo can unlock some of the cores of the 3 core Phenoms. I think the big saving comes with motherboards and cheaper CPU.

Lets face it without AMD Intel would have the monopoly boards on its back!!

 

[Lemon Merchant]

I'm sorry but I found it really funny after reading that (don't ask me why )

Could it be my lousy grammar?

Ending a sentence with a preposition... Bad Lemon! Bad, bad, Lemon!

 

[FIREBALL ROBERT]

HELP !!! HELP!!!! ANYONE HELP!!!

My thread has been hi-jacked by people smarter, wittier and more computer literate than I.

Seriously, thanks for your input. Purchase is on hold because I am an indecisive wimp.

 

[tom123]

Get a Phenom II x4 965, mine only cost £145, which is only £4 more than a Q8300, and it has a much higher clock speed.
Example: I installed Civ 4 on my new PC, with a stock 965 @ 3.4GHz, and loaded the 'Next War' scenario, which found was very CPU intensive on my laptop (2GHz Core 2 Duo), and it ran faster than the first few turns do my laptop.

Also, you should consider a newer ATI graphics card, I have the HD5770, which, despite how cheap it is (£128 - compared to a 5870's £300) can run games like Far Cry 2 maxed out at 1080p. As well as being much more powerful than a 4350, it is more future proof, as it is one of only five or six card designed for Dx11 (The others in the HD 5xxx range are the only other Dx11 graphics cards)

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Get a Phenom II x4 965, mine only cost £145, which is only £4 more than a Q8300, and it has a much higher clock speed.

And, it can be overclocked.

Mine's at 3.95 GHz. Even faster than your laptop.