Alright buddy. An EMachines REALLY won't cut it. Considering the level of detail involved in JK2, as well as looking at hardware requirements for EF and RTCW (Q3A engine games, like JK2) you are looking at a pretty substantial upgrade here. First off, if this is an E Machine then it is not meant for gaming, mostly Email, hence the E in the title. It is also most likely an AT case or an ATX case, which means that you're looking at some extremely limited upgradability (asside of getting a new case and starting over, etc). See the damn sacrifices we all have to make to play new games? Except GraphicsGod of course, with his Athlon XP....... grrrrrrr........ anyways, Redwing, what's your budget for upgrading?

this is my system

e-Machines
400Mhz
256mb Ram
GeForce 2 MX 400 PCI
8 GB hardrive and guess what! I have no money!@
Help me please!!!!

You can build one hell of a gaming machine for only $1,000, you can get a new case, power supply, motherboard, RAM, CPU for like $500 at the MOST if you get really expensive stuff. Go AMD, they are really cheap.

I upgraded my machine for $400. New CPU, Memory, Videocard and motherboard.

Amd is the way to go. You can get a 1.2 Ghz Duron for $50. More than enough to play games with if you're on a low budget.

And I think this thread belongs in the swamp... :evanpiel:

Is the purpose of this thread is to ask Redwing a question?

If so : Private Messages are A-1 SUPAR!

There is nothing wrong with ATX cases, its just a standard for what motherboards will fit in it. Granted there are some poor ATX cases though, but plenty of good ones. I'd go for a custom built machine, or you could add the following 3 parts to your system:

1 Abit KG7 Raid Mainboard $189
2 AMD Athlon XP 1800 OEM $230.00
3 Registered ECC DDR 512MB PC2100 Memory 266Mhz $229.00
Total: $648.00


Thats my rant from a person who works at a computer store, the prices might have changed though.

www.champaigncomputer.com)

Wow...a topic for me? I feel so special :D

Budget...hmmm well that depends on how much I can make working for various ppl in two months. :/

@JP: Would those need a better-than-66 MHz system bus? [/newbie question]

*waits for thread to be Swamped before he causes any other disturbances*

I'm still stuck with my old 56K. Hey at least my internet acess is free!

Originally posted by Redwing
@JP: Would those need a better-than-66 MHz system bus? [/newbie question]

*waits for thread to be Swamped before he causes any other disturbances*
Well JP hasn't answered yet, so I will, because I hate to see questions go unanswered for so long :D

Those components (mobo, CPU, etc.) do need a better-than-66MHz system bus, yes. The good news is, however, that the system bus is an integral part of your mobo, therefore if you get a new one, you get a new system bus :)

HTH, and keep the questions coming :)

Thanks! That's good to know :D now I just have to worry if my computer tower (or whatever they're called :rolleyess) will fit these things....

How do I tell that?

Tower. Case. It's all the same, really... although I do prefer 'case' myself :)

If by 'these things' you mean the stuff suggested by JP, then I can probably guarantee that your case won't cut it, most likely because of the new PSU you'll need... the mobo might not fit, either, so it'd be better to get a new case too...

Give me a budget and I'll see what I can come up with that will run JK2 nicely - you'll be surprised :)

You are able to buy stuff online, right? (However you do that doesn't matter - it's whether you can or not that counts - it's cheaper to buy online, and I can compare prices of my recommendations to tell you where's best to buy from :D)

Ugh...a budget...lol

Yes, I'm able to buy online, or rather my mom is, if I can get the money... I'd say I should have $100 to $200 (300 absolute MAX) as a budget :)

Hmmm... that's a fairly tight budget, I must say, but I'm sure I can come up with something good - watch this space :)

BTW, can you tell me the make and model of your mobo? That might possibly help keep costs down if we can still use it...

Well...I could...but I don't exactly have my computer right now :D (I'm posting on someone else's) My friend is adding a spare hard drive to it...so I can't check till tomorrow at earliest :(

Oh. Okay, then - tell me when you can :)

Is $300 the absolute limit? Would your mom perhaps lend you some? You see, I can suggest a rather good system for $308, but the video card would definitely start to hold everything else back, as it's quite old (but still reasonable performance-wise...)

I've still got several other options to look at, so don't despair just yet, Redwing - I'll see what I can come up with :)

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, sounds like Baccy took care of things though. I suggested a top of the line system, there are still some great deals for a lot cheaper, I'll look around.

Okay, heres a budget system that will still slap your old system around:

1. ABIT KT7A Mainboard $109.00
2. AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1333 MHZ 266 MHZ FSB $124.00
2. PC133 256MB $69.00

Total: $302

You could also add your old ram into this system for a total of 512 MB, which would be nice. Another option is to buy a AMD Duron
Duron 950 for $65.00 and then buy an Athlon XP 1900 (1.6 GHZ) for $220.00 when you get the cash. Your video card is still somewhat limiting, but I have a GeForce 2 MX AGP, and while AGP is better than PCI, I think you'll be okay, Quake III Team Arena runs great for me on my system:

Althon 1000 MHZ (Overclocked to 1.05 GHZ for fun)
320 MB PC133 Ram
Hercules 3D Phrophet 2 MX Dual Display
SB Live 5.1
Klipch 2.1 THX Certified Speakers (Very Soon I Hope)

I hope this helps!

Allright guys...you have invest money on your
computer, afterall it is yours best friend, isn't it ;)

What I suggest is AMD athlon 1800+ XP
512 RAM
and videocard could be...Geforce 3 64mt
(I'm no computer expert so don't complain me
about this) :tsk: :) LOL

PS. Dont buy Duron...

:fett:
:wstupid:

That'd be great, but too bad it would cost $700+ and you still wouldn't have a motherboard that would work with it. :) Durons aren't as good as the Athlon XPs, but they are still good if you're on a budget, which RedWing seems to be on.

Your suggestion is good JP (the $302 Total one) but he'll need a new ATX PSU for all that, and quite possibly a new case as well (and you didn't include a vid card, either...) :(

I've come up with the following from www.AccessMicro.com) :

EPoX 8KHAL Mobo (VIA KT266A chipset)
1.333 GHz Athlon T-bird (266 FSB)
128MB PC2100 RAM (Redwing- you can add to this easily when funds allow :))
ThermalTake HSF (Possibly pre-fitted, which will be easier for him)
MSI TNT2 M64 32MB Vid Card (Also easily upgradable)
TEAC Floppy Drive (You can't de-select it :rolleyes: ...but they are good, at least)
InWin A500 ATX Mid-Tower Case + 300Watt PSU
$8 Burn-in & Assembly fee (Also unavoidable...)

This would give him a good base so start from that will allow him to play JK2 with reasonable settings, and also allows for a wide scope of future upgrades.

The total cost (possibly excl. shipping...) is $328...

The two major things that would hold this particular system back are the RAM (256MB would be a lot better) and the Graphics card - but they can both be upgraded, as I said :)

You will certainly be able to play JK2 on this setup, but the graphics will have to be toned down a fair bit...

If you can borrow some money from your mom, you could get a much better vid card and 256 Megs of RAM - which would run JK2 very well indeed... but it will cost quite a bit more ($150 more, to be precise...) :(

I'm still checking out some other options, so don't consider this your only option just yet, Redwing :)

why does he need a new Mobo? If a celeron fits then so should a PIII. You can get a cheap PIII 550 or 600 for under $100 I would imagine then find a Geforce 2 GTS card and 128mg ram.

Don't spend all his money when he doesn't need to.

something else to consider. Buy used stuff, I have.

Go to www.anandtech.com) go to the community page and then to the for sale/trade forums.

You can find anything there for cheap. Just about everyone there is a great trader. I have bought proccesors, video cards and fans there as well as sold some stuff with out a hitch.


I'll go check some stuff for ya right now...

Ok, I just found a PIII 600 for $70 bucks, it will O/C to 800mhz.

I found a Geforce 2 GTS 32mg for $65.

A 256mg of mitsubishi ram PC133 for $35

An antec PS for $42 not sure how big..

0.o *information overload* ;)

Got this site from a friend: http://www.pricewatch.com/) It does a price search and comparison on some stuff...

So far I've gathered that I need: a new motherboard (because the system bus is too slow-66 MHz) a new processor (perhaps too slow, "computer guy" I talked to said (I THINK) that I might need a new one if I got a new new mobo...)

And I definitely need a new video card...but which one? :/

I wish they'd post the system specs of JKII....x_x lol

EDIT: Took too long to post! Thnx for the info GUNNER...

Redwing, you don't need a new mobo. You can turn the bus speed up and down in the set-up menu. Right now it's at 66, when you get a PIII you go in and turn it to 100mhz.

When your PC starts up , as it's going through you will see a message that says something like......press Delete to enter set-up....or it might say press F2 to enter set-up....

Then you go in and look for your FSB setting and turn it to 100.

I built my wifes PC with a celeron 466 which has a 66mhz bus, when I upgraded my PC I put my PIII 550 in hers, all I did was swap out the proccesors. Then turned the bus to 100, no problemo..

Do you actually think there are Mobos that only support one speed? Mobos will support all kinds of bus speeds.

When you buy a Mobo the maker has to make sure that the user can install any proccesor he want so he makes the mobo work for many different combos.

So any Intel board will just about work with a celeron or PIII if it's a BX board.

Originally posted by GUNNER
why does he need a new Mobo? If a celeron fits then so should a PIII.
Yes, they will fit, but he has already stated that his machine says "66MHz System Bus" on it, which would strongly suggest that his current mobo only has a 66MHz bus - most P3s that I've seen have 133 FSBs, so a P3 couldn't even be used to half its full potential without pushing the PCI and AGP clocks out of spec.
Don't spend all his money when he doesn't need to.
I don't intend to - I'm trying to find the best system for the least money, preferably not used, so he gets a guarantee.
something else to consider. Buy used stuff, I have.
That was one of my "other options", but I wouldn't recommend it due to the complete lack of guarantees.

A Duron system would be okay, but a P3 system is stupid because they're virtually out of date now, and a KT266A mobo would give him the option to upgrade to an Athlon later.

Athlons also have more cache than Durons (and possibly P3s - not my best area), meaning they're better for gaming. (I expect you knew that, but he probably didn't.)
So any Intel board will just about work with a celeron or PIII if it's a BX board.
Interesting. I admit that I didn't know that.
The key phrase there, however, is "If it's a BX board" which we don't know yet.

********************

Redwing -

If you get a Socket-A processor (Duron, Athlon) You will need a new Power Supply Unit as well, because the one you have now is almost certainly no more than 235Watts, and Athlons NEED 300Watts, and Durons run much better with that much.

The best price to performance system with good upgradability that I can recommend is something close to this:

700MHz+ Duron Processor
KT266A Mobo
128MB PC2100 DDR RAM
ATX Case
A 300W PSU (The Case+PSU combo I suggested above should do fine)
Any Make of nVidia TNT2 32MB Graphics Card (they are cheap, and will run JK2 fairly well - mine runs Elite Force at 1024*768 with all settings at the max. and almost no stuttering)
Adequate HeatSink+Fan (HSF) to cool the Processor (Again, the one above would be fine)
Have you ever fitted a HSF? It's not too hard (depending on the mobo and the HSF) but it might be a little un-nerving if you've never done it before.
However, if your "computer guy" friend can fit it or show you how to, you should be fine.
If you don't fancy doing it yourself, then get the system (whatever it turns out to be) from somewhere that will fit it for you when you buy a mobo, processor, and HSF together (the place I mentioned above seems to do this - I'll check)

Ok, I will say right now I know nothing about AMD. But intel on the other hand is another thing......

Ok, I have never heard of a mobo only supporting one bus speed. it says 66 (and I'm not sure where he found the number at)but I am almost positive it will also do 100 and more. So like I said there is no need for a new board if he goes with intel.

Think about it, if you want to make something wouldn't you make it to be able to be used by many folks with different needs and price ranges. A mobo that supports only one speed is like a car that only comes in one color.


My mobo is a BX board. I started with a PIII 550 which is a 100mhz FSB, I bought a 700 that does 933mhz which needed a FSB of 133 so I went to my soft menu and turned the bus up to 133. so just because they say a BX board is for 100mhz chips doesn't mean nothing else works but 100mhz chips.

Go to Abit and look at the list of boards that will work with celerons,and PIIIs with 100and 133mhz bus speeds if you dont beleive me.

Intel make chips that will do 66(celerons),100 (pIII) and 133mhz on the FSB, and you can run any of these chips from one board.

I can almost gaurentee it.

As far as the BX board thats my bad, I built a PC for my folks with a Asus board that has the VIA chipset and it has a PIII 600 in it so a VIA board works as well. That board also will do numerous bus speeds.

But you know what, if you don't trust me or think that I know what I'm talking about then that's all good too because I'll now step down from the help section.

Good luck.

Can't we just be friends? Please? :)

I do trust you, (whether Redwing does or not is a different matter ;)) and I can see clearly that you know what you're talking about - especially when it comes to Intel. we're obviously trying to solve tha problem at hand in two completely different ways, which is counter-productive, and pointless.

What I'm aiming in the general direction of is a good, cheap, easily and widely upgradeable gaming system, that will run JK2 merrily, at medium settings or there abouts.

I 'know' AMD, but I admit that I have very little knowledge as regards Intel, sadly.

I didn't mean to be offensive, but I did become quite irritated when you started bringing in what I see as 'unnecessary complications' to the situation (buying used).

Please don't stop helping Redwing just because I disagreed with you - that's not fair on him.

If we work together we can accomplish more things quicker than if we work against each other - what do you think?

I would like to apologize for being an ass, I'm sorry. Forgive me.:(

Your right though, I'm sure that somehow we can work out something that will work for him.


The bad part is we aren't even sure what he really has, and that's bad because we are both assuming he has exactly what he says when I'm not sure he knows quite what he has.

That make sence?:rolleyes:

If you want to save a few bucks I might be able to help some but it would mean buying used parts.

I have in my possesion a Diamond Viper V770 ultra TNT2 and a stick of 128mg Mushkin pc133 cas2 with mosel vitalic chips that are not being used.

I have kept them both as I always thought that if I build a PC for an extra LAN machine I might use them but if all else fails I might be persuaded to part with them for a price.

But lets try to find him some new stuff if we can but if all else fails........

Of course I'll forgive you :) (but only if you forgive me, too ;))
That make sence?:rolleyes:
Yup - and good sense, too :)
If you want to save a few bucks I might be able to help some but it would mean buying used parts.

I have in my possesion a Diamond Viper V770 ultra TNT2 and a stick of 128mg Mushkin pc133 cas2 with mosel vitalic chips that are not being used.

I have kept them both as I always thought that if I build a PC for an extra LAN machine I might use them but if all else fails I might be persuaded to part with them for a price.
That's a very good idea. :) We're already getting things done quicker now that we're working together :D
But lets try to find him some new stuff if we can but if all else fails........
Agreed - if we can find new stuff at good prices it would be nice :)

I suggest we try and narrow down the specs of this thing, so we have a common goal to aim for.

As a starting point, I would suggest the following -

An Athlon CPU would be nice, if we can find something cheap.
If we go AMD, then a KT266A mobo would be the best, due to it's upgradability.
Something around that Viper you've got should do fairly well for graphics.
I don't know what wattage P3s need, but I'd bet it'll be more than his current PSU has to offer, so we'll need a new one of those.
128MB of RAM should be fine - DDR if we go Athlon and KT266A so as to get the best out of the system.
If we go down the new ATX PSU + mobo route, he'll probably need a new case, too, but that can be taken care of with a Case+PSU combo.

What are your thoughts on those? Feel free to suggest something Intel-based - the more options the better, as long as we work together ;)

your forgiven although I was the one that was being stupid...:(


I have a great suggestion for a case as I have one. It's an Addtronics and she is a beauty but she will also blow half your cash. hehe

I'm not good with cases but I thought Antec or Inwin made some good ones for a decent price. Most any set-up will need 300watts minimum wether intel or AMD.

I agree with the TNT2 card, they are nice units and can still be purchased for a good price.

AMD would make a good choice, what about even and older T-Bird, are they still nice units? 128mg of ram will do for now unless you find a sweet deal on some.. I have used Corsair, mushkin and Crucial and all of them are very good peices and would recommend any of those makes. My corsair was PC100 Cas3 and ran 112FBS at Cas 2 no problems.

I'm not up on the DDR stuff, I'm still plugging along with the PC133 stuff.:D

I built my forst unit with parts I found on Buy.com have you used them before?

0.o;;; this whole thing is making me feel a lil...guilty :(

The bad part is we aren't even sure what he really has, and that's bad because we are both assuming he has exactly what he says when I'm not sure he knows quite what he has.

I'm afraid you're right X_x I really don't....the system specs I posted earlier were from the sticker on the front of the computer....I don't know the other stuff because, well, I don't know where to look. :o

I think my problem is, well, to give an example, until a couple days ago I had no clue what a "front system bus" was.

The model of the computer case (I THINK, since the grey sticker on the back says so :rolleyess)

MODEL: etower 466is
RATING: 100-120/200-240V~, 50/60Hz, 2.0/1.0A

I have absolutely no clue what that means. Can, erm, someone tell me? :o

I'm really, really sorry for causing all this trouble...

I have a great suggestion for a case as I have one. It's an Addtronics and she is a beauty but she will also blow half your cash. hehe
I so know where you're coming from :D
I'm not good with cases but I thought Antec or Inwin made some good ones for a decent price. Most any set-up will need 300watts minimum wether intel or AMD.
I know InWin's stuff - I've used them before, and they're good - they might well be the best to go for on a budget.
I agree with the TNT2 card, they are nice units and can still be purchased for a good price.
That's the graphics sorted, then :)
AMD would make a good choice, what about even and older T-Bird, are they still nice units?
They're still VERY nice pieces of CPU - I'm running an 800MHz one very happily :D
128mg of ram will do for now unless you find a sweet deal on some.. I have used Corsair, mushkin and Crucial and all of them are very good peices and would recommend any of those makes.
I've never used Corsair, but I've found Mushkin and Crucial to be very good performers :)
I'm not up on the DDR stuff, I'm still plugging along with the PC133 stuff. :D
I'm fairly clued-up when it comes to DDR, so that's OK :) I'm still running 133 too, but not for long - I'm also upgrading for JK2 ;)
I built my first unit with parts I found on Buy.com have you used them before?
No, but it wouldn't have done me much good if I had - I live in the UK!
I've been doing my fair share of getting to know who the major US e-tailers are, though, so don't forget me completely on that front ;)

That's FSB, Front Side Bus ,big guy.:D It is how fast the info moves accross your bus system. The faster the better.. Hence your is 66, that's the slowest system out there. Then there was 100, then 133 and now AMD has a system with a 266FSB. Although I'm not exactly sure if that is a true speed.

Well how about we find an inwin, a tnt2 and some good ram. I have found that cheap ram is just that, very cheap and if there is one thing that should not be scrimped on it's good ram.

Can we find a good tbird 700 or so for a good deal?

Red, it's no problem. I just got a little excited, that's all..

Problem solved..

As far as knowing what you got you might need to tear the side off the case. :D If you are looking at the front of the case then the left hand side should come off to reveal the insides. The guy who put in your HD had to take it off so ask him to do it again and you be there to look inside just keep your can of Coke away from it.:p

I would imagine that the 100-120/200-240 has to do with the voltage, as in your house is wired for 110V

The 50-60hz has to do with just that hertz
and lastly 2.0/1.0A has to do with the amperage.

What we need is on the inside.

I didn't see your post when I posted that last one, Redwing - explorer's playing up :mad:

Don't feel guilty - GUNNER and I are working together now, and we seem to be getting much closer to a solution :)
Originally posted by GUNNER
AMD has a system with a 266FSB. Although I'm not exactly sure if that is a true speed.
You're right to not be entirely sure GUNNER - it's a 133 bus using DDR technology to make it equal to a 266 one :)
Well how about we find an inwin, a tnt2 and some good ram. I have found that cheap ram is just that, very cheap and if there is one thing that should not be scrimped on it's good ram.
Sounds like a plan :D ...I've never bought cheap RAM, so I can't comment, but I wouldn't be surprised - 'You get what you pay for' is very true when it comes to electronics.

I'm sure we can find a decent T-Bird for a good price - I'll start looking now, and see what i can find :)

The only remaining problem is the fitting of a CPU heatsink...
Redwing, do you know someone who could fit one for you?
Or do you feel like learning how to?

*blink* Ummm, if I had an instructions, or an instruction book--! :D

as for inside the case, well I have a slightly silly problem there...

I know how to take it off, and had left it off---but my friend who put in the hard drive put it back on...and I have to find the screwdriver to get it off again!! :D :o :o

*hears mom telling him he should go to bed*Oops! O.O 12:49... erm, bye ^^;; and thanks again for the help, you don't know how much I appreciate it :) :)

Peace, or ummm, something ^^

Ok, time to go home. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow.
Later.

Originally posted by JPMaximilian


Thats my rant from a person who works at a computer store, the prices might have changed though.

www.champaigncomputer.com)

DUDE, are you saying that you work THERE?!

We can at least look for aase if need be right as they don't usually have a warrenty anyways. You might find a case on ebay.

Originally posted by Zargon


DUDE, are you saying that you work THERE?!

Yeah, why?

Baccy- It sounds like you'll come up with a good setup, so I'll leave that to you, but I suggest you get a pretty high speed processor, thats the hardest to upgrade, its much easier to add more ram or a better video card later. And don't get a pentium, Althon's are better.

Baccy- It sounds like you'll come up with a good setup [...]
Thank you - I'd hoped so :)
[...] so I'll leave that to you, but I suggest you get a pretty high speed processor [...]
That was my plan - it looks like we'd both solve this the same way... I hope that's good :D
And don't get a pentium, Althon's are better.
AMD all the way! I would never touch Intel, even if it meant using a Cyrix CPU! :D ;)

You guys are heartless. Intel makes a great chip, you just happen to prefer AMD.:cool:

Yeah, the P4 is pretty good, but for that price I could buy a new AMD system that performs just as well...

Or are they more evenly priced over there? (AthlonXP vs. P4)

An XP 2000+ is roughly $290 over here, whilst a P4 2.0 (478) is about $400...

Nope, your right, the Intel is usually more then the AMD of the same speed.:(

Don't know why though.

Currently I have a Compaq Presario 7360 computer with a 500 MHz K6-2 Processor.

I am looking to upgrade my processor and/or mother board. My first question is what would be good choices at you know reasonable prices. My second question is what does that kind of upgrade entail? Would it be something I could do myself, or would a professional be needed? How much does stuff like this usually cost?

Thanks for any tips/help.

Tell you what, why don't post this in the "Let's fix Redwing's computer so he can play JK2" thread (further down, maybe page 2), so we (myself, GUNNER, several others) can help you both in the same place - it'll make it less confusing for us :D

By the looks of it, your PC is in about the same position as Redwing's, capability-wise, so what we recommend for him should do for you, too :)

Maybe GUNNER could merge the threads?

Merge threads, let me see if that's in the Mod hand out......:rolleyes:

Ok, soon to be merged, hold on guys..

Done, I moved your to his since his was longer and had been here a greater amount of time and more people had posted in it, didn't want anyone to get lost ya know..:D