Need Advice: Upgrade or buy a new computer?

Captain Affenschwanz · 01-28-08, 08:40 AM

Finally got around to purchasing SH4 and it won't run properly on my four year old system. I've got a Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00 GHz with 512 MB RAM and a Radion 9600 Pro video card.

What do you think? Should I simply boost the RAM or buy a new computer? Will the Radion 9600 handle SH4?

Thanks...

Sailor Steve · 01-28-08, 08:56 AM

I hope the upgrade will work; I'm in the same situation, and your rig is identical to mine.

AVGWarhawk · 01-28-08, 09:07 AM

Your pentium has plenty of butt to run the game. What type of interface for your vid card? PCI or AGP? RAM is RAM and is selling very cheaply. Are you ready for Vista and some of it's ills?

ReallyDedPoet · 01-28-08, 09:11 AM

Good point regarding Vista, I know some here have gotten it to work with no problems, however I had my current rig built from scratch so I could put in XP and not Vista.

It is Vista capable, however I am staying away from it for the foreseeable future.

RDP

TDK1044 · 01-28-08, 09:20 AM

If your budget allows, buy a new computer with XP as the OS. The 9600 series is an old generation video card, and you really need to get your RAM to 2 GIGS. If your budget doesn't allow, then upgrade your video card to the fastest card your system can handle and get your RAM to 2 GIGS.

By the way, I wouldn't touch Vista with a very long pole. It's going to need a service pack to make it half decent, and even then I'm not convinced.

swdw · 01-28-08, 09:27 AM

Only 512MB of RAM is way too low to run SH4 under any flavor of windoze. You need more memory and a better video card. Going to a minimum of 2gb of ram will drastically speed up Windows and cause SH4 to run much smoother.

I know people have run SH4 with the 9800, but don't know about the 9600.

Try the memory first.

As for buying a new computer, if you do, request XP, not Vista with it.

Depending on your system, you should be able to get a 2GB matched pair of memory sticks for just under $100 with good shopping. I got my Super Talent DDR2800 in a matched set from newegg for $79, and this is 4-4-2-8 memory with heat spreaders.

01-28-08, 08:40 AM	#1
Captain Affenschwanz Watch Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts USA Posts: 25 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Need Advice: Upgrade or buy a new computer? Finally got around to purchasing SH4 and it won't run properly on my four year old system. I've got a Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00 GHz with 512 MB RAM and a Radion 9600 Pro video card. What do you think? Should I simply boost the RAM or buy a new computer? Will the Radion 9600 handle SH4? Thanks... __________________ A kill is a kill.

01-28-08, 08:56 AM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	I hope the upgrade will work; I'm in the same situation, and your rig is identical to mine. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

01-28-08, 09:07 AM	#3
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,257 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Your pentium has plenty of butt to run the game. What type of interface for your vid card? PCI or AGP? RAM is RAM and is selling very cheaply. Are you ready for Vista and some of it's ills? __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

01-28-08, 09:11 AM	#4
ReallyDedPoet Canadian Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada. The one and only, East Coast Posts: 10,886 Downloads: 946 Uploads: 5	Good point regarding Vista, I know some here have gotten it to work with no problems, however I had my current rig built from scratch so I could put in XP and not Vista. It is Vista capable, however I am staying away from it for the foreseeable future. RDP __________________ Back in the Day

01-28-08, 09:27 AM	#6
swdw Grey Wolf Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 921 Downloads: 75 Uploads: 0	Only 512MB of RAM is way too low to run SH4 under any flavor of windoze. You need more memory and a better video card. Going to a minimum of 2gb of ram will drastically speed up Windows and cause SH4 to run much smoother. I know people have run SH4 with the 9800, but don't know about the 9600. Try the memory first. As for buying a new computer, if you do, request XP, not Vista with it. Depending on your system, you should be able to get a 2GB matched pair of memory sticks for just under $100 with good shopping. I got my Super Talent DDR2800 in a matched set from newegg for $79, and this is 4-4-2-8 memory with heat spreaders. __________________ "There are only two types of ships- submarines...... and targets" Unknown "you wouldn't catch me on a ship that deliberately sinks itself"- comment to me from a surface sailor. System: AMD 6300 3.5 GHz \| 32GB DDR3 \| SATA 300 320GB HD, SATA III 1TB HD, SATA III 1.TB HD \| ASUS Sonar DS sound card NVIDIA 1660 Super OC \| Windows 10

01-28-08, 09:20 AM	#5
TDK1044 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 2,674 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 0	If your budget allows, buy a new computer with XP as the OS. The 9600 series is an old generation video card, and you really need to get your RAM to 2 GIGS. If your budget doesn't allow, then upgrade your video card to the fastest card your system can handle and get your RAM to 2 GIGS. By the way, I wouldn't touch Vista with a very long pole. It's going to need a service pack to make it half decent, and even then I'm not convinced.