Lightsaber430 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I'm thinking of getting a new motherboard. I want a more game-friendly pc. I have A Vaio PCV-RS220 with only 185 watts o power and no AGP. Any suggestions? Nothing too pricy. I saw some with AGP at bestbuy for 200 dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDoe Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 $200 will get you a very good motherboard. (Unless you want one with an onboard video card, which I definately recommend against). I'm running a Gigabyte Nforce2 based motherboard, and its worked well for me, but its a bit old so theres probably better stuff on the market now. Try www.anandtech.com and take a look at their motherboard reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsaber430 Posted July 17, 2004 Author Share Posted July 17, 2004 I think i saw a 200 dollar one at bestbuy.com with a graphics card. Is the installation difficult. I think i'm gonna tell a friend to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karzak Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 What processor do you have? Let's keep the T&A in FanTAsy ***Posting delayed, user on moderator review*** Why Bio Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 I buy all my hardware at New Egg. Better prices than you'll find anywhere offline. You can get a top of the line MOBO for around $150. w00t! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tripleRRR Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 For gaming I would reccomend either an Asus, Abit, or MSI motherboard with the nForce 3 chipset, AMD processor, you can get a quite decent one from New Egg or the manufacturer's website for around $125 US. They are pretty easy to install, they have instructions for normal people nowadays, not just for the geeks. TripleRRR Using a gamepad to control an FPS is like trying to fight evil through maple syrup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karzak Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 You need to know what processer and memory you have if you intend to transfer them to a new motherboard. Let's keep the T&A in FanTAsy ***Posting delayed, user on moderator review*** Why Bio Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsaber430 Posted July 17, 2004 Author Share Posted July 17, 2004 You need to know what processer and memory you have if you intend to transfer them to a new motherboard. Pentium4 512MB of RAM. Will switching my motherboard result in a better power supply? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 You need to know what processer and memory you have if you intend to transfer them to a new motherboard. Pentium4 512MB of RAM. Will switching my motherboard result in a better power supply? Hell no! In fact, if you intend to purchase a GFX card to hook up to it as well, I'd at least buy a new PS that was 350 Watts or so. Your computer's liable to catch fire running a 185 watt PS with a new MOBO, new GFX card....etc. It sounds like you computer's proprietary (i.e. prebuilt Dell, Gateway, Compaq, etc.) So I'd definitely plan to install a bigger PS if you intend to install anything other than a MOBO. Even if you don't right now, it's a good investment, becaause if you're willing to rip your computer apart and hook up a new motherboard, you have all the tech expertise you need to do upgrades in the future. I'm running on a 500 Watt modded Powmax, but that's because I have a bunch of fans, and a CC light in it as well as the drives, cards etc. Also, since it sounds like you're running on proprietary hardware, you might want to measure your case dimensions and make sure what you're buying will FIT inside your case. Even better would be to buy a new case, especially if you're installing a new GFX card, as cooling in most prebuilt cases is SH!T!!! <_< Not trying to be a downer, but if you intend to purchase a new MOBO which is the most expensive part in most computers besides the processor (mine was actually less than the MOBO though. ), you might as well save up a little more money, and buy yourself a new PS and Case and do the job right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsaber430 Posted July 17, 2004 Author Share Posted July 17, 2004 I think i heard from somebody with my same model that sony said he couldn't change his PS. Mabye i should just get a 9200 pci from ATI bec. if i get a new motherboard I still Can't buy a better card cause o my PS. DARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 I think i heard from somebody with my same model that sony said he couldn't change his PS. Mabye i should just get a 9200 pci from ATI bec. if i get a new motherboard I still Can't buy a better card cause o my PS. DARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry: Unless it's a funny shaped one, or is welded in place or something weird, you can change it. Most companies say that whether or not you can, because it voids your warranty. But so does any other type of do-it-yourself upgrades, like installing a new MOBO. 185 Watts is extremely low for a PS, lowest I've ever heard of. <shudders> Unless you already have a PCI GFX card installed in it, or have a GFX card in it you can take out....I wouldn't do it. But that's just me. Even if it is a weird shaped PS, there are ways of mounting a PS on the outside of the case, or in the bottome of the case where there's some extra room. It'll take a little more doing (i.e. modding) and maybe a little work with a dremel, but it can be done. Don't lose hope yet Padawan. <edit>Also, buying a new case would fix ALL your problems. Unless you got some funky proprietary drives, and even so, drives are cheap. Your processor is probably more expensive than anything else in the entire computer. Is there any way you can take a picture of your PC's innards for me to take a gander at? That would help, ALOT. </edit> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsaber430 Posted July 17, 2004 Author Share Posted July 17, 2004 I don't want too much hassle. I just want some thing better than the stupid inte cardl so i can play SW Galaxies. I'm pisseed of, my computer is a year old it should have AGP but it don't and its PS sucks. CURSE YOU SONY!!!! I hate sony they don't even respond to e-mails!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: Forgive me for being so angry, but its real frustrating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 I don't want too much hassle. I just want some thing better than the stupid inte cardl so i can play SW Galaxies. I'm pisseed of, my computer is a year old it should have AGP but it don't and its PS sucks. CURSE YOU SONY!!!! I hate sony they don't even respond to e-mails!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: Forgive me for being so angry, but its real frustrating :D <has good news> Is this what the inside of your computer looks like? Because if it does, I can't be sure without actually being there, but it looks like you should be able to install a new PS with little to no fuss. B) I got the picture from HERE. It's a review on that model, and it basically says what you've concluded. It's suited for Office work, not gaming. Next time you buy a prefabricated computer (which I shall never, ever do again, now that I know how to build my own), do a little research. All I had to do to find this, was type "Upgrading a <your model>" into google. It was the first hit. Anywho, good luck. Manufacturer's often BS when they say whether or not something's upgradeable, because not only does it void the warranty, but if you're upgrading your PC, you'll eventually learn to BYO, which means you won't be buying from them anymore. It's good business for them to keep you in the dark. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 For under $300.00 you can get a new case (nothing fancy), a mobo and proc combo and a new ps. And it will still outrun, outpace, out perform the $1000.00 beige boxes from HP, Sony, et-al. (example: Soyo - KT600 Dragon Plus - Socket A ATX Motherboard Bundle with AMD Athlon XP 2800+ Processor $139.99 I have had great luck with the KT600 (Via Chipset) line of mobos from the various brands...Asus, Soyo, Chaintech) Some people here prefer NewEgg, but I've always gotten better prices and faster service from TigerDirect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 For under $300.00 you can get a new case (nothing fancy), a mobo and proc combo and a new ps. And it will still outrun, outpace, out perform the $1000.00 beige boxes from HP, Sony, et-al. (example: Soyo - KT600 Dragon Plus - Socket A ATX Motherboard Bundle with AMD Athlon XP 2800+ Processor $139.99 I have had great luck with the KT600 (Via Chipset) line of mobos from the various brands...Asus, Soyo, Chaintech) Some people here prefer NewEgg, but I've always gotten better prices and faster service from TigerDirect. <has had bad experience and less of a shopping selection from Tiger Direct, of course, that was on a notebook PC, not individual components> To each their own. I'd strongly advise a new case so you don't have to put up with all of Sony's crap, not to mention horrible cooling, but that's just me; and I've been known to go overkill when upgrading my precious computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnderAndrew Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Never buy computer components at BestBuy. Go over to www.newegg.com and you'll see the $200 BestBuy motherboards for $70. I'm a big fan of Asus and Gigabit brand boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionavar Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 It has been my experience that though ASUS makes great components, their support is less than stellar. They only respond to needed changes when enough pressure is brought to bear. Gigabyte and ABIT have seemed to have the overall needed balance imo fwiiw NewEgg for sure in the US no question ... an alternative to compare with could be ZipZoomFly (originally GoogleGear). The universe is change; your life is what our thoughts make it - Marcus Aurelius (161) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnderAndrew Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 I used to shop GoogleGear. I thought they disappeared. And AGP is a pure requirement for a gaming rig. PCI Video Cards are a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taks Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 hehe, AGP goes away as a standard for video at the end of this year. i believe it is PCIX after that... not sure though. taks comrade taks... just because. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnderAndrew Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 But then you'll need a new $400 video card. AGP 8x is more than fast enough. No one really comes close to pushing the 8x envelope yet. Most benchmarks say that AGP 4x bridges are fast enough for most games today. A good Radeon 9600 has AGP 8x support, and native DirectX 9 support. That's all you need, and is affordable. Those who jump on the new bandwagon, and spend $500 likely won't see any difference in performance because nothing really pushes the current technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionavar Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 The irony is that AGP 8x from what I have seen (xBit in particular) has demonstrated that PCIE has not outperformed with current gen cards :? The universe is change; your life is what our thoughts make it - Marcus Aurelius (161) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taks Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 the problem is that AGP has reached its limit, from what i understand. the current crap with the new PCI interface probably IS slow, but so was AGP when it debuted. apparently there are several issues with the way AGP works and the speed of the interface is not one of them... i'll dig through my trade rags and see if i can find anything. a good website for such things is EETimes. taks comrade taks... just because. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnderAndrew Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 AGP hasn't quite reached it's limit, nor are we really using the limits of AGP 8x yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taks Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 i think the problem is that it doesn't efficiently use the system memory... i.e. it can't reach its limit... taks comrade taks... just because. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionavar Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 From my understanding we have not even technically maxed out AGP 4x ... as taks has said I think this is more on account of overall access speed than limitations of the AGP architecture ... I know that AGP 8x still has nothing that is using its full potential and likely will not with the migration to PCIE ... The other thing about PCIE and the next gen cards is the PSU reqs ... imo cynical moments I think this is all more due to selling hardware and rationalising the need than an actual one ... but then hey I'm always weary when the suits say it's better for me The universe is change; your life is what our thoughts make it - Marcus Aurelius (161) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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