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Posted: 8/30/2014 5:36:22 PM EDT
[#1]
Adding a GPU and ram is simple. You can do it yourself in under and hour for even the drunkest of monkeys.
Take a look at the GTX 760. Seems like a good bang for your buck GPU. Is it worth it? Depends on how much you play CS. If you were going to get into other PC games, I'd definitely upgrade. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 5:43:11 PM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
I am primarily a mac user now. I just prefer them, and they make more sense for the type of work I do. However, I also like to play games like CS:GO. CS will run fine on my mac, but the game will frequently just shut down at times like when teams are switching sides. Steam also glitches for me a little bit occasionally. I could live with it, but it is a little frustrating. I remembered that I had a PC that I had built about two years ago. I dragged it out, and it still works, but the specs are worse than I thought. It will run CS, but that seems to be really pushing its limits. The specs are: Intel core i3-540 3.07 ghz processor 2 gigs of RAM Intel HD Graphics card. It doesn't say which one, but I am guessing it is the Intel HD 2000 ETA: It has 64 bit Windows 7 on it It will primarily be a Counter Strike machine. I have no interest in spending a lot of money and starting from scratch. I will stick with the console for games like COD, BF, Halo, etc. I don't really like games like Skyrim, WoW, LoL, or anything like that. I have a gaming monitor for my xbox that I can hook it up to. So the only other thing I would probably need to buy would be a mouse and possibly a keyboard. Although, I have a gaming mouse now on my mac, and I could just use that. Would it be worth adding a little more RAM and upgrading the GPU for CS? There is a small mom and pop computer shop in the small town I live in that could do it for me fairly quickly. I also don't mind changing the parts myself as long as it is easy enough for a blind, drunk monkey to do. Assume I am the dumbest person on the planet when it comes to working on PC's. Upgrading the ram is probably worth it. Should be super cheap too, depending on the speed. Probably 1333Mhz? I don't know what brand you have now, but adding a couple of gigs, or just getting a 4 gig stick, should be south of $50. As for a card, it partially depends on whether you have the slot to upgrade (the intel graphics are integrated, so you would actually be adding a card, not replacing one), but assuming you do I think a card in the $75ish range would also work. Maybe even less. I don't play CS:GO so I'm honestly not sure what card you would need to get a fluid 60fps on a 1080p monitor. Maybe it would cost more like $120 or something. Either way, it seems like it should be really easy to upgrade both RAM and GPU and have a bitchin' CS rig while spending well under $200 total. ETA: What monitor resolution will you play at? |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:01:25 PM EDT
[#3]
All you should need to run CS is a better video card. Sub-$100 should do you. And maybe get a few more GB of RAM while you're at it. Just make sure you don't go over the max for your mobo.
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:11:02 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
All you should need to run CS is a better video card. Sub-$100 should do you. And maybe get a few more GB of RAM while you're at it. Just make sure you don't go over the max for your mobo. I was thinking something like a GT650 would be fine, which go for about $85 bucks. A 4 gig stick of ram is $30, tops. So maybe $110ish all told. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:14:44 PM EDT
[#5]
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I was thinking something like a GT650 would be fine, which go for about $85 bucks. A 4 gig stick of ram is $30, tops. So maybe $110ish all told. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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All you should need to run CS is a better video card. Sub-$100 should do you. And maybe get a few more GB of RAM while you're at it. Just make sure you don't go over the max for your mobo. I was thinking something like a GT650 would be fine, which go for about $85 bucks. A 4 gig stick of ram is $30, tops. So maybe $110ish all told. Should be fine. I run a 550Ti and have had pretty good luck with games. I have to turn things down sometimes, but it never looks worse than console-quality. Tomb Raider was the last AAA title I played through and it looked great. Diablo III also looks great. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:19:17 PM EDT
[#6]
To be honest I don't know what resolution I would be playing at. I only have used that monitor for xbox one, and I just plugged it in and played.
If I have add a graphics card do I have to disable the intel card? Are the slots labeled when you open the case? I am not sure I would know where the graphics card would go. The PC was built by a local computer store. Are a lot of the interior layouts of PC's similar so I could google an image of where the stuff would go? And yes, this will probably just be a CS rig. I haven't found any other PC games that I like. I still prefer console for games like COD and Battlefield. It's not that I think consoles are better. It is mainly because I don't really like moving around using a keyboard. That is one of my biggest challenges playing CS. I know I could buy a controller, but I would also need to spend a lot more on upgrades to play games like that. Like I said, CS will run on it now.. Just not at its best. I definitely don't need the best of anything. Under $200 sounds good to me if possible. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:31:08 PM EDT
[#7]
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To be honest I don't know what resolution I would be playing at. I only have used that monitor for xbox one, and I just plugged it in and played. Probably no higher than 1080p if your xbox goes in it. You should be fine. If I have add a graphics card do I have to disable the intel card? The PC should recognize it and do it automatically, so no. You just plug the TV into the new card instead of the onboard one Are the slots labeled when you open the case? I am not sure I would know where the graphics card would go. The PC was built by a local computer store. Are a lot of the interior layouts of PC's similar so I could google an image of where the stuff would go? No, but it's pretty easy to find. You are looking for a PCIx16 slot for the graphics card; as you say google and youtube are good guides. Crack open your case and see what you have, and look up diagrams on the web. And yes, this will probably just be a CS rig. I haven't found any other PC games that I like. I still prefer console for games like COD and Battlefield. It's not that I think consoles are better. It is mainly because I don't really like moving around using a keyboard. That is one of my biggest challenges playing CS. I know I could buy a controller, but I would also need to spend a lot more on upgrades to play games like that. Like I said, CS will run on it now.. Just not at its best. I definitely don't need the best of anything. Under $200 sounds good to me if possible. Something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130827&cm_re=GT650-_-14-130-827-_-Product should work fine for a card; $65 after rebate. If you want to get splashy, maybe something like this for $100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202113&cm_re=GT650-_-14-202-113-_-Product. There may be better deals out there just so you know; I just grabbed what I saw from the first search. For RAM, you'll need to find out the speed your current stuff is. Pop a stick out (look it up on youtube for instructions/location) and see what it says; most RAM sticks should have a sticker that gives their speed - something like 1066 or 1333mhz is probably what you have. Get the same speed in a larger size, like a single 4GB stick, and you should be good to go. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:33:16 PM EDT
[#8]
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All you should need to run CS is a better video card. Sub-$100 should do you. And maybe get a few more GB of RAM while you're at it. Just make sure you don't go over the max for your mobo. Thanks for the replies... Is the part in red labeled on the board somewhere? I had the boxes to all the parts, but I threw them away a couple months ago because I figured I would never use them... 
So I don't remember exactly what is in there. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:36:05 PM EDT
[#9]
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Something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130827&cm_re=GT650-_-14-130-827-_-Product should work fine for a card; $65 after rebate. If you want to get splashy, maybe something like this for $100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202113&cm_re=GT650-_-14-202-113-_-Product. There may be better deals out there just so you know; I just grabbed what I saw from the first search. For RAM, you'll need to find out the speed your current stuff is. Pop a stick out (look it up on youtube for instructions/location) and see what it says; most RAM sticks should have a sticker that gives their speed - something like 1066 or 1366mhz is probably what you have. Get the same speed in a larger size, like a single 4GB stick, and you should be good to go. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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To be honest I don't know what resolution I would be playing at. I only have used that monitor for xbox one, and I just plugged it in and played. Probably no higher than 1080p if your xbox goes in it. You should be fine. If I have add a graphics card do I have to disable the intel card? The PC should recognize it and do it automatically, so no. You just plug the TV into the new card instead of the onboard one Are the slots labeled when you open the case? I am not sure I would know where the graphics card would go. The PC was built by a local computer store. Are a lot of the interior layouts of PC's similar so I could google an image of where the stuff would go? No, but it's pretty easy to find. You are looking for a PCIx16 slot for the graphics card; as you say google and youtube are good guides. Crack open your case and see what you have, and look up diagrams on the web. And yes, this will probably just be a CS rig. I haven't found any other PC games that I like. I still prefer console for games like COD and Battlefield. It's not that I think consoles are better. It is mainly because I don't really like moving around using a keyboard. That is one of my biggest challenges playing CS. I know I could buy a controller, but I would also need to spend a lot more on upgrades to play games like that. Like I said, CS will run on it now.. Just not at its best. I definitely don't need the best of anything. Under $200 sounds good to me if possible. Something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130827&cm_re=GT650-_-14-130-827-_-Product should work fine for a card; $65 after rebate. If you want to get splashy, maybe something like this for $100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202113&cm_re=GT650-_-14-202-113-_-Product. There may be better deals out there just so you know; I just grabbed what I saw from the first search. For RAM, you'll need to find out the speed your current stuff is. Pop a stick out (look it up on youtube for instructions/location) and see what it says; most RAM sticks should have a sticker that gives their speed - something like 1066 or 1366mhz is probably what you have. Get the same speed in a larger size, like a single 4GB stick, and you should be good to go. Thanks for the help.. Should I leave the 2GB of RAM in there or just replace it entirely with a 4GB stick? |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:36:42 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks for the replies... Is the part in red labeled on the board somewhere? I had the boxes to all the parts, but I threw them away a couple months ago because I figured I would never use them...
So I don't remember exactly what is in there. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
All you should need to run CS is a better video card. Sub-$100 should do you. And maybe get a few more GB of RAM while you're at it. Just make sure you don't go over the max for your mobo. Thanks for the replies... Is the part in red labeled on the board somewhere? I had the boxes to all the parts, but I threw them away a couple months ago because I figured I would never use them...
So I don't remember exactly what is in there. As far as I can recall it's never actually listed on the board. If you still have the manual floating around it should say it there. Otherwise, if you can find the model of the board listed somewhere on the board, and it usually is, you might be able to google it and find out. Either way, I can't believe that going to 4gigs will be more than the board can handle. It's an i3 so it can't be that old. Going up to 8 or more could pose a problem, but you have no need for more than 4 at this point. So I wouldn't even worry about it. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 6:42:59 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks for the help.. Should I leave the 2GB of RAM in there or just replace it entirely with a 4GB stick? I depends on how many RAM slots you have, and how much you want to spend. Assuming you have 2 slots, it's better to have 2 sticks of RAM (so 2x2GB in your case). Faster performance. But getting two smaller sticks is also a bit more money than getting 1 larger stick, usually (not much, just a few bucks). If you only have 1 slot, then the decision is made for you. But if you have 2 slots, I'd get two sticks. You could probably leave the stick you have, but since it's old and won't match whatever you get to add to it I'd just replace it entirely. I'd list some ram for you but since I don't know the speed I can't give you a recommendation. Just make sure you get DESKTOP memory (240 pin) and not LAPTOP memory (204 pin). For what you are doing, most name brands should be fine - Crucial, Mushkin, G-Skill, Corsair, Patriot, PNY, etc. |
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Posted: 8/31/2014 8:09:23 AM EDT
[#12]
I did some reading online. It looks like adding a better graphics card will be the hardest part. Just about everything I have read says I need to disable to intel HD. I am assuming I do that after I put the new card in?
Most of the posts also said that I need to make sure the current power supply unit will be able to handle the new GPU. Isn't there a good website that tells you if parts are compatible? I tried searching, but i came up with several results. Not sure which is the best to trust. |
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Posted: 8/31/2014 8:32:04 AM EDT
[#13]
You're right, powering a video card can be a pain. As long as you stay with a lower power video card, you might be fine. Otherwise, you could end up needing a power supply. The newer video cards use a separate power connector that not all older PSUs have.
As far as disabling the onboard video, it usually happens automatically. If it doesn't, you can do it from within the BIOS at startup. It should be a software thing, not something you have to do on the board. Here's a site that may help with the power requirements. http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php |
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Posted: 8/31/2014 9:32:57 AM EDT
[#14]
The power supply on your PC should have the power rating right on it. Any GPU will tell you the minimum power supply needed to run it.
I needed a new power supply for my GTX750ti. 220 wasn't cutting it. 
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Posted: 8/31/2014 11:13:19 AM EDT
[#15]
I had a GTX650 Ti on my first build last year and while I was able to play BF3 and 4 on low settings and resolution, I still found myself wanting a little more performance and upgraded to a GTX760. I play most FSP campaigns on high settings with no problem, but drop resolution and graphics quality on multiplayer. I get well way over 60 fps in the most action packed times on BF4 MP on mid/low settings with the 760.
Long story short, get the 760 at minimum. They should still be less than $250 online. Budget cards will be a disappointment and you will want to upgrade. ETA: I put the 650 in my kids desktop (w/ AMD FX6300 CPU), and they can play low graphics intensive games like Grid 2, KSP, Euro Trucker on high settings with no problem. Not sure how FSP's like CS would fare. |
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Posted: 8/31/2014 12:23:35 PM EDT
[#16]
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I did some reading online. It looks like adding a better graphics card will be the hardest part. Just about everything I have read says I need to disable to intel HD. I am assuming I do that after I put the new card in? Most of the posts also said that I need to make sure the current power supply unit will be able to handle the new GPU. Isn't there a good website that tells you if parts are compatible? I tried searching, but i came up with several results. Not sure which is the best to trust. Not sure where you read that, but I've never had to manually disable the onboard graphics in any of my i-series PCs. Plug in new card to PC -> install latest drivers for card (that you downloaded online) -> reboot -> done. The days of manually doing that shit *should* be over. As a poster above said, if something really goes sideways you can manually disable it but that's almost certainly something you won't need to worry about. For a GT650, Nvidia says you need a 400W PSU (you'll plug a power cord from it into the card). Other cards may require more or less depending. Just plug "[XYZ card] power supply" into google and you'll find out how much you need. Most PSUs have the rating listed on them. If you don't have enough, pick one up online. A 400w cooler master PSU is $35 online at newegg right now. A PSU is fortunately not difficult to replace; you'll just be plugging in a few diiferent power things. Generally a 24 pin power on the right side of the board, a 6 pin on the top of the board, and then a 6 or 8 pin line to your new graphics card. |
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Posted: 8/31/2014 6:51:09 PM EDT
[#17]
As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO.
I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps.
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Posted: 9/1/2014 3:06:19 AM EDT
[#18]
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As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO. I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps. I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. |
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Posted: 9/1/2014 6:33:33 AM EDT
[#19]
Power supply should be marked on the side or on the white label what it is like this and the graphics card slots are usually located below the proccesor.
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Posted: 9/1/2014 8:33:56 AM EDT
[#20]
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I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO. I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps. I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Once you have a PC, you might get sucked into the "this game is only $1" sale thing on Steam. Suddenly, you'll have a backlog a mile deep. It's almost like BRD.
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Posted: 9/1/2014 9:38:29 AM EDT
[#21]
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Once you have a PC, you might get sucked into the "this game is only $1" sale thing on Steam. Suddenly, you'll have a backlog a mile deep. It's almost like BRD. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO. I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps. I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Once you have a PC, you might get sucked into the "this game is only $1" sale thing on Steam. Suddenly, you'll have a backlog a mile deep. It's almost like BRD. Well, I really don't want I PC. I have used PC's for most of my life. I just really don't like them anymore.... At all. So that would be unlikely.. Not impossible, just unlikely. I am not saying Macs are better or getting into that whole mess. I just greatly prefer them.. Especially for work when I have to process hundreds of thousands of photos and hours of video. My only goal right now is to be able to play CS without the game crashing all of the time. For whatever reason, the game has started to close frequently and take me back to the steam page. This usually happens when changing sides. So if I can make a minimal investment in either making my old PC better, or buying windows for my mac it would be worth it to me. Spending 500-1000 right now on a new PC isn't practical for me right now. I finally have a full day off today so I am going to open that older PC I have and at least see what it looks like in there. |
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Posted: 9/1/2014 9:43:10 AM EDT
[#22]
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Well, I really don't want I PC. I have used PC's for most of my life. I just really don't like them anymore.... At all. So that would be unlikely.. Not impossible, just unlikely. I am not saying Macs are better or getting into that whole mess. I just greatly prefer them.. Especially for work when I have to process hundreds of thousands of photos and hours of video. My only goal right now is to be able to play CS without the game crashing all of the time. For whatever reason, the game has started to close frequently and take me back to the steam page. This usually happens when changing sides. So if I can make a minimal investment in either making my old PC better, or buying windows for my mac it would be worth it to me. Spending 500-1000 right now on a new PC isn't practical for me right now. I finally have a full day off today so I am going to open that older PC I have and at least see what it looks like in there. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO. I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps. I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Once you have a PC, you might get sucked into the "this game is only $1" sale thing on Steam. Suddenly, you'll have a backlog a mile deep. It's almost like BRD. Well, I really don't want I PC. I have used PC's for most of my life. I just really don't like them anymore.... At all. So that would be unlikely.. Not impossible, just unlikely. I am not saying Macs are better or getting into that whole mess. I just greatly prefer them.. Especially for work when I have to process hundreds of thousands of photos and hours of video. My only goal right now is to be able to play CS without the game crashing all of the time. For whatever reason, the game has started to close frequently and take me back to the steam page. This usually happens when changing sides. So if I can make a minimal investment in either making my old PC better, or buying windows for my mac it would be worth it to me. Spending 500-1000 right now on a new PC isn't practical for me right now. I finally have a full day off today so I am going to open that older PC I have and at least see what it looks like in there. Right there with you. I use a Mac for work and anything that's not gaming. But, they're still the best gaming platform. I rebuilt my game PC about a year and a half ago (other than the video card which was already a bit dated) and pretty much the only thing it gets used for is games. It's the only reason I have a Windows machine in my house.
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Posted: 9/1/2014 1:05:55 PM EDT
[#23]
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I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO. I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps. I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Nominally, those are decent enough specs that you should be able to run CS:GO with no problems. Not sure why you are having issues. Have you adjusted the settings down to see if that's the issue? |
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Posted: 9/1/2014 10:50:41 PM EDT
[#24]
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Nominally, those are decent enough specs that you should be able to run CS:GO with no problems. Not sure why you are having issues. Have you adjusted the settings down to see if that's the issue? Quote HistoryQuoted:
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As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO. I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps. I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Nominally, those are decent enough specs that you should be able to run CS:GO with no problems. Not sure why you are having issues. Have you adjusted the settings down to see if that's the issue? The game seems to run perfectly, it just closes and takes me back to the steam screen. I have been told by a few people that is because I am running it on a mac. Haven't really messed with settings. I thought CS:GO only needed really low specs to run. It will run on that older PC I have. It just skips and doesn't run smoothly. |
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Posted: 9/1/2014 11:48:53 PM EDT
[#25]
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The game seems to run perfectly, it just closes and takes me back to the steam screen. I have been told by a few people that is because I am running it on a mac. Haven't really messed with settings. I thought CS:GO only needed really low specs to run. It will run on that older PC I have. It just skips and doesn't run smoothly. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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As others had said, find out the watt rating on your power supply (should have a sticker somewhere). Try and upgrade to 8gb of ram and a decent video card and you will have a solid machine for CSGO. I dual-boot my macbook pro into windows and play the game fine with ~100 fps. I was wondering if that might be the better option. I have a one TB drive on my iMac that I haven't even come close to filling. However, this iMac is a couple years old as well. The specs on my iMac are: 3.4 GHz i7 8 GB 1333 DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB I wouldn't mind having that old PC up and running again, But it really needs to be cheap for it to be worth it. CS is the only game I will be playing on it. If I ever want to play a lot more PC games I will just start over with a new one, or go with the dual boot on my Mac. Nominally, those are decent enough specs that you should be able to run CS:GO with no problems. Not sure why you are having issues. Have you adjusted the settings down to see if that's the issue? The game seems to run perfectly, it just closes and takes me back to the steam screen. I have been told by a few people that is because I am running it on a mac. Haven't really messed with settings. I thought CS:GO only needed really low specs to run. It will run on that older PC I have. It just skips and doesn't run smoothly. For a twitchy game like Counterstrike, high frame rates are essential. I'd just bite the bullet and upgrade the desktop GPU and ram if I was you. It won't cost (that) much, and you'll learn some basic knowledge about how computers work in the process, which will be helpful with everything from macs to PCs to the latest console wars bitchfest. Plus who knows, maybe you'll realize just how awesome being part of the PC master race truly is.
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Posted: 9/2/2014 1:53:30 AM EDT
[#26]
lol.. I wouldn't mind having a PC for gaming. However, that is just a good chunk of change I would rather spend elsewhere. I only like playing Counter Strike with a mouse and keyboard. I still prefer console for other mainstream FPS games (I know, consoles suck too..
)
I haven't found nearly enough games that I like to make it worth it right now. Maybe in the future.... Just not yet. After wasting most of the day away I am getting ready to open the case now on the older PC. If it doesn't look too bad in there I will most likely go that route as suggested. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 6:07:20 AM EDT
[#27]
Here is what the inside looks like.
It looks like the power supply is going to be a little short at 350W. Not real excited about that. Also the black slot where the new video card would go is at the bottom. Would it fit in there with the cords there under it? What is the blue slot for right under the fan in the center of the first picture? Here is an overall shot: 
Here is a shot of the RAM. There are two slots total with one being used by this stick: 
Here is a shot of the label of the power supply which is enclosed in a metal box: 
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Posted: 9/2/2014 8:57:25 AM EDT
[#28]
I think your new video card will go in the blue slot. That looks like a PCI Express x16, but it's hard to tell for sure. Look up the specs for your specific motherboard or pull out the manual if you still have it to make sure that's the right slot.
The bottom slot looks like a legacy PCI slot to me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 10:46:08 AM EDT
[#29]
I believe this is a MSI H55M-E23 board.
I downloaded the manual. The blue slot is a PCIEx 16 slot. The black slot at the bottom is a 32 bit PCI slot. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 10:52:57 AM EDT
[#30]
I have a MBP with the 750M GPU. On OS X using highest settings I was getting 25-30 FPS on Day of Defeat: Source and Team Fortress 2. Boot into Windows 7, same games, same settings, newest nVidia drivers, 300+ fps.
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Posted: 9/2/2014 11:20:47 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have a MBP with the 750M GPU. On OS X using highest settings I was getting 25-30 FPS on Day of Defeat: Source and Team Fortress 2. Boot into Windows 7, same games, same settings, newest nVidia drivers, 300+ fps. I think the card you have in your laptop is better than mine. I have a AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 11:44:57 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I believe this is a MSI H55M-E23 board. I downloaded the manual. The blue slot is a PCIEx 16 slot. The black slot at the bottom is a 32 bit PCI slot. You definitely want a PCI-e video card then. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 11:57:15 AM EDT
[#33]
This link suggests these two PCI-e cards that would work with my current power supply:
1. GeForce GTX 750 Ti - Around $150 on Amazon. Good reviews for it there. The review says there is not external power connector? But it recommends a 300W power source? I don't get it. I would also have to buy a different HDMI Cable which isn't a big issue. It says there is only a mini HDMI on the back. 2. GeForce GT 730 64-bit GDDR5 - This is around $80 on Amazon. Average reviews but not many. Any thoughts? http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 1:19:00 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This link suggests these two PCI-e cards that would work with my current power supply: 1. GeForce GTX 750 Ti - Around $150 on Amazon. Good reviews for it there. The review says there is not external power connector? But it recommends a 300W power source? I don't get it. I would also have to buy a different HDMI Cable which isn't a big issue. It says there is only a mini HDMI on the back. 2. GeForce GT 730 64-bit GDDR5 - This is around $80 on Amazon. Average reviews but not many. Any thoughts? http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html I'm guessing either would run CS:GO just fine. I would probably get the 750Ti if it were me. I think it will have a longer future for the extra money. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 1:25:44 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I believe this is a MSI H55M-E23 board. I downloaded the manual. The blue slot is a PCIEx 16 slot. The black slot at the bottom is a 32 bit PCI slot. Correct, and the card will go in the blue one. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 1:27:28 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This link suggests these two PCI-e cards that would work with my current power supply: 1. GeForce GTX 750 Ti - Around $150 on Amazon. Good reviews for it there. The review says there is not external power connector? But it recommends a 300W power source? I don't get it. I would also have to buy a different HDMI Cable which isn't a big issue. It says there is only a mini HDMI on the back. 2. GeForce GT 730 64-bit GDDR5 - This is around $80 on Amazon. Average reviews but not many. Any thoughts? http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html Yeah, the 750 is the way to go. The 730 is a real low-end card, and even the 650 would probably beat it. That said, it may also still work with CSGO. The 700 series cards are better on the power consumption than the 600 series cards, which is probably why the power needs are lower. Also, dust that case.
ETA: Your RAM is 1333 speed, which I suspected. Cheap-ass brand, too. Rather than try to see if you can get a different brand to play nice, just buy a 2x2gb set from newegg or amazon. You'll have a matching set that you know will be compatible that way. And from the photo it looks like you have 2 slots so no problem there. ETA2: This is a good set from a good brand that should fit your needs perfectly. Amazon may have something similar, though when I looked it seemed that their selection was pretty limited and overpriced. Since newegg is an electronics store only, there's gonna be a much better selection, not to mention much more clear and detailed labeling. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275 |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 1:41:30 PM EDT
[#37]
Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect.
The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all..
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Posted: 9/2/2014 1:50:35 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yeah, the 750 is the way to go. The 730 is a real low-end card, and even the 650 would probably beat it. That said, it may also still work with CSGO. The 700 series cards are better on the power consumption than the 600 series cards, which is probably why the power needs are lower. Also, dust that case.
ETA: Your RAM is 1333 speed, which I suspected. Cheap-ass brand, too. Rather than try to see if you can get a different brand to play nice, just buy a 2x2gb set from newegg or amazon. You'll have a matching set that you know will be compatible that way. And from the photo it looks like you have 2 slots so no problem there. ETA2: This is a good set from a good brand that should fit your needs perfectly. Amazon may have something similar, though when I looked it seemed that their selection was pretty limited and overpriced. Since newegg is an electronics store only, there's gonna be a much better selection, not to mention much more clear and detailed labeling. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275 Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
This link suggests these two PCI-e cards that would work with my current power supply: 1. GeForce GTX 750 Ti - Around $150 on Amazon. Good reviews for it there. The review says there is not external power connector? But it recommends a 300W power source? I don't get it. I would also have to buy a different HDMI Cable which isn't a big issue. It says there is only a mini HDMI on the back. 2. GeForce GT 730 64-bit GDDR5 - This is around $80 on Amazon. Average reviews but not many. Any thoughts? http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html Yeah, the 750 is the way to go. The 730 is a real low-end card, and even the 650 would probably beat it. That said, it may also still work with CSGO. The 700 series cards are better on the power consumption than the 600 series cards, which is probably why the power needs are lower. Also, dust that case.
ETA: Your RAM is 1333 speed, which I suspected. Cheap-ass brand, too. Rather than try to see if you can get a different brand to play nice, just buy a 2x2gb set from newegg or amazon. You'll have a matching set that you know will be compatible that way. And from the photo it looks like you have 2 slots so no problem there. ETA2: This is a good set from a good brand that should fit your needs perfectly. Amazon may have something similar, though when I looked it seemed that their selection was pretty limited and overpriced. Since newegg is an electronics store only, there's gonna be a much better selection, not to mention much more clear and detailed labeling. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275 Another vote for the G.Skill RAM. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 1:54:02 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:02:23 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:02:30 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. The PCI-E slot itself supplies ~75w iirc. extra connectors are used for cards that exceed that requirement. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:23:10 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. BTW, I get over 200 fps with this card in CSGo  |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:26:28 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. It still pulls power from the motherboard, hence the overall power requirement. You just won't need a separate cable that goes straight from the PSU to the GPU. ETA: of course some cars may still require another cable as the above poster said. However, it still shouldn't be a problem as you probably have a spare cable in there. It shouldn't affect the overall PSU requirement of 300ish watts. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:31:19 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Wrong! I have a 750 ti and it uses a 6 pin from the PSU. Keep in mind that its an Asus model with twin fans. I believe when they say it doesnt need an external power source they are referring to a reference model. BTW, I get over 200 fps with this card in CSGo http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d173/clindav/photo_zpse0ced049.jpg Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. BTW, I get over 200 fps with this card in CSGo http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d173/clindav/photo_zpse0ced049.jpg So the description below that I got from here is incorrect? It also says that in the full review.: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html While the Radeon R7 260X offers similar performance for considerably less money, gamers who want to upgrade an entry-level PC with a low-output power supply may consider the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, which is rated at 60 W (a little more than half of the 260X's 115 W). Nvidia suggests you use at least a 300 W power supply with this card. That's a very low bar to set for owners of low-end machines. You don't even need a six-pin auxiliary connector. The GTX 750 Ti doesn't earn a full recommendation for value, but it just may be the best option for gamers upgrading old or small form factor systems. If it is rated at 60W and the slot provides around 75W why do I need to plug it in? |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:34:09 PM EDT
[#45]
Used GTX 660 (non Ti) off of ebay. There's several of them available for around $120.
The GTX 660 is a decently fast card that doesn't use a whole lot of power, and isn't a terrible overclocker if it is kept cool enough. Semi-decent CPU cooler The biggest SSD drive you can afford. The SSD will make the single biggest difference in the responsiveness of the computer, in both games and day-to-day use. 120GB drives are around $80 and use less power than an HDD. Some cheap used memory. You're not overclocking your system, so fast memory is just a waste of money; just grab a random stick of used memory off of ebay that is the same speed and size as the one you have and you should be fine. This should cost less than $250 and give you a decent gaming rig without having to get a new power supply. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:37:14 PM EDT
[#46]
See my edit to my post above. Some cards may require it but it shouldn't affect your overall 300 watt requirement and you will likely have a spare cable stuffed in there. I'd need to look at those photos again.
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:37:18 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
So the description below that I got from here is incorrect? It also says that in the full review.: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html While the Radeon R7 260X offers similar performance for considerably less money, gamers who want to upgrade an entry-level PC with a low-output power supply may consider the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, which is rated at 60 W (a little more than half of the 260X's 115 W). Nvidia suggests you use at least a 300 W power supply with this card. That's a very low bar to set for owners of low-end machines. You don't even need a six-pin auxiliary connector. The GTX 750 Ti doesn't earn a full recommendation for value, but it just may be the best option for gamers upgrading old or small form factor systems. If it is rated at 60W and the slot provides around 75W why do I need to plug it in? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. BTW, I get over 200 fps with this card in CSGo http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d173/clindav/photo_zpse0ced049.jpg So the description below that I got from here is incorrect? It also says that in the full review.: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html While the Radeon R7 260X offers similar performance for considerably less money, gamers who want to upgrade an entry-level PC with a low-output power supply may consider the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, which is rated at 60 W (a little more than half of the 260X's 115 W). Nvidia suggests you use at least a 300 W power supply with this card. That's a very low bar to set for owners of low-end machines. You don't even need a six-pin auxiliary connector. The GTX 750 Ti doesn't earn a full recommendation for value, but it just may be the best option for gamers upgrading old or small form factor systems. If it is rated at 60W and the slot provides around 75W why do I need to plug it in? From what I can see, the ASUS one has 2 fans. Might be why it needs the external power connector while the eVGA card does not. I can tell you that Amazon has always been good with returns for me, so if you get the eVGA card and it doesn't work for you, you could always send it back. Go for it! |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:38:20 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: So the description below that I got from here is incorrect? It also says that in the full review.: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html While the Radeon R7 260X offers similar performance for considerably less money, gamers who want to upgrade an entry-level PC with a low-output power supply may consider the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, which is rated at 60 W (a little more than half of the 260X's 115 W). Nvidia suggests you use at least a 300 W power supply with this card. That's a very low bar to set for owners of low-end machines. You don't even need a six-pin auxiliary connector. The GTX 750 Ti doesn't earn a full recommendation for value, but it just may be the best option for gamers upgrading old or small form factor systems. If it is rated at 60W and the slot provides around 75W why do I need to plug it in? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Ok, So I am confused about the power supply and the 750 ti card. Does it hook up to the power supply or not? The review said it didn't have a six pin plug or whatever. The review made me think it didn't connect. The case is dusty because it has been sitting in a closet for over a year... It is a PC after all.. Looks to me like it doesn't require an external power connection. Nice! You should be GTG. Thanks, I was just wondering because the specs recommend a 300W power source. However, it also says there isn't a power connection. That is what was confusing me. BTW, I get over 200 fps with this card in CSGo http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d173/clindav/photo_zpse0ced049.jpg So the description below that I got from here is incorrect? It also says that in the full review.: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html While the Radeon R7 260X offers similar performance for considerably less money, gamers who want to upgrade an entry-level PC with a low-output power supply may consider the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, which is rated at 60 W (a little more than half of the 260X's 115 W). Nvidia suggests you use at least a 300 W power supply with this card. That's a very low bar to set for owners of low-end machines. You don't even need a six-pin auxiliary connector. The GTX 750 Ti doesn't earn a full recommendation for value, but it just may be the best option for gamers upgrading old or small form factor systems. If it is rated at 60W and the slot provides around 75W why do I need to plug it in?  ETA: Also of note, I have a GTX650 that was advertised as not needing an external power supply, but HAS a 6 pin connector. It WILL run WITHOUT it, but will not utilize the GPU throttling without it. Contrary to that, my 750ti will not even boot without the 6 pin connected. YMMV |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:41:41 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Used GTX 660 (non Ti) off of ebay. There's several of them available for around $120. The GTX 660 is a decently fast card that doesn't use a whole lot of power, and isn't a terrible overclocker if it is kept cool enough. Semi-decent CPU cooler The biggest SSD drive you can afford. The SSD will make the single biggest difference in the responsiveness of the computer, in both games and day-to-day use. 120GB drives are around $80 and use less power than an HDD. Some cheap used memory. You're not overclocking your system, so fast memory is just a waste of money; just grab a random stick of used memory off of ebay that is the same speed and size as the one you have and you should be fine. This should cost less than $250 and give you a decent gaming rig without having to get a new power supply. That's a good plan, but it sounds like most of that is beyond his skill level or desire to learn. And the 660 is overkill if all he wants to do is csgo. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 2:45:42 PM EDT
[#50]
The 660 is older and uses a ton of power when compared to the 650-750 series. That would force op to upgrade PSU as well. IMHO, I would suggest a 650 and leave it at that. He should still be able to get over 100fps in CSGO with that. Hell, I played BF4 with low/medium settings with the 650 @40-50 fps
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