Posts by fadedorca66

Yeah, but you don't even have a graphics card

Fair enough.

Yeah, it should work fine.

That one isn't really it, maybe try this instead:

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-A400-SATA-SSD-240GB/dp/B078K7Y9Z2

Is everything running okay in the game? I doubt your CPU is actually bottlenecking you, especially for something like Konami. These benchmarks are pretty amateur hour—instead of measuring actual processing power, they just pull some numbers and compare them, which doesn't even come close to showing how the CPU really performs. It's kind of pointless, I guess.

You could build a decent Home Theater PC, or maybe just grab a cheap Android TV Box if you want to save some cash. Check out this thread:

What's the exact model?

I think I managed to fix that issue on my GTX 760 once just by reflashing the BIOS.

Man, you're really coming for him, but you're basically admitting you want to buy something new too since upgrading this thing is just a dead end. I guess it all looks great if you're just trying to squeeze every bit of performance out of a cheap setup, but if you actually care about long-term value, you'll probably just move on to something else eventually.

Give it a shot, it won't cost you anything, but I guess you should probably think twice before dumping cash into an old junker because once that money is gone, there's no coming back. 😁

Sure, you might get a little bump from more RAM and an Apple, but don't expect a miracle. If you're getting 15-20 FPS now, you'll maybe hit 25-30, which is still basically a slideshow.

If you actually have the cash, I'd say just buy something new; anything else is just patching up a sinking ship.

How much cash were you actually planning on dropping? Patching this thing up feels like just dragging out the inevitable, if you ask me.

If you've got the budget, you might as well just grab a fresh CPU, motherboard, and RAM combo. Honestly though, that GPU is pretty ancient and weak by today's standards, so you'll probably want to swap that out too.

Nothing makes sense on our end either, since we have zero clue what kind of setup your buddy is running with his $1667 😬

Everything is great except for that last sentence—what a bummer! 😁

The memory controller is built right into the CPU, and this processor doesn't even support DDR3.

It’s possible that new RAM module is just faulty, or maybe the motherboard and the stick just don't "get" each other. Did you grab that module off eBay or something, or is it actually a reputable brand?
Also, those boards that support both old and new RAM can be pretty finicky and picky about what they take...

As for pricing—DDR2 is pricier since it's older and harder to find; it's almost becoming an exotic item at this point 😁. But unfortunately, you're stuck with it because your processor won't work with DDR3—it just doesn't support it.

What kind of RAM are you running right now, and what's the CPU on your board?

Nicole Garcia43 said:You guys are absolute lifesavers, seriously! I know you all had to carve out time from your lives for this, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve spent days staring at specs and learning things like how an Intel processor might be better than an AMD one, or that AMD is cheaper and totally fine for gaming, but honestly... that's about as far as my brain can take me. So, everyone, once again 🙏

Initially, I was looking at a gaming laptop in this price range because it seemed like a cleaner, more streamlined solution, but everyone convinced me that a PC is the way to go. We only have one TV in the house—mostly just out of principle—so I am absolutely not handing that over for gaming. 😁 Thanks again.

Thanks so much. One question though: do I actually need an optical drive? What would I even use it for?

😁 for picking from that link. I knew it wasn't a great idea, which is why I asked here. The only thing I liked about those pre-built solutions was that they claimed the configuration was tested, which makes me think nothing was put together incorrectly. Thank you so much.

Thanks, thanks so much. This advice was really helpful, both for the build and the Windows situation. I actually looked into that eBay option before, but I thought those keys wouldn't last forever... One more question though. I'm also going to need Office 2010. Should I buy that outright, or is it the same deal where I have to find a workaround?

Everything is getting a lot clearer now. I'm going to go dig into everything you suggested and double-check the prices at Centro and Uzishop.

What you learned isn't really true 😁 You buy processors based on what you can actually afford and what gives you the best bang for your buck—basically trying to squeeze the strongest chip possible into your budget. Whether it says Intel or AMD is probably the last thing you should care about.😁

Nicole Garcia43 said:You guys are absolute lifesavers, seriously! I know you all had to carve out time from your lives for this, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve spent days staring at specs and learning things like how an Intel processor might be better than an AMD one, or that AMD is cheaper and totally fine for gaming, but honestly... that's about as far as my brain can take me. So, everyone, once again 🙏

Initially, I was looking at a gaming laptop in this price range because it seemed like a cleaner, more streamlined solution, but everyone convinced me that a PC is the way to go. We only have one TV in the house—mostly just out of principle—so I am absolutely not handing that over for gaming. 😁 Thanks again.

Thanks so much. One question though: do I actually need an optical drive? What would I even use it for?

😁 for picking from that link. I knew it wasn't a great idea, which is why I asked here. The only thing I liked about those pre-built solutions was that they claimed the configuration was tested, which makes me think nothing was put together incorrectly. Thank you so much.

Thanks, thanks so much. This advice was really helpful, both for the build and the Windows situation. I actually looked into that eBay option before, but I thought those keys wouldn't last forever... One more question though. I'm also going to need Office 2010. Should I buy that outright, or is it the same deal where I have to find a workaround?

Everything is getting a lot clearer now. I'm going to go dig into everything you suggested and double-check the prices at Centro and Uzishop.

A PC is definitely a more robust setup; it's easier to fix, easier to handle overheating issues, and much easier to upgrade later on...

Nicole Garcia43 said:You guys are absolute lifesavers, seriously! I know you all had to carve out time from your lives for this, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve spent days staring at specs and learning things like how an Intel processor might be better than an AMD one, or that AMD is cheaper and totally fine for gaming, but honestly... that's about as far as my brain can take me. So, everyone, once again 🙏

Initially, I was looking at a gaming laptop in this price range because it seemed like a cleaner, more streamlined solution, but everyone convinced me that a PC is the way to go. We only have one TV in the house—mostly just out of principle—so I am absolutely not handing that over for gaming. 😁 Thanks again.

Thanks so much. One question though: do I actually need an optical drive? What would I even use it for?

😁 for picking from that link. I knew it wasn't a great idea, which is why I asked here. The only thing I liked about those pre-built solutions was that they claimed the configuration was tested, which makes me think nothing was put together incorrectly. Thank you so much.

Thanks, thanks so much. This advice was really helpful, both for the build and the Windows situation. I actually looked into that eBay option before, but I thought those keys wouldn't last forever... One more question though. I'm also going to need Office 2010. Should I buy that outright, or is it the same deal where I have to find a workaround?

Everything is getting a lot clearer now. I'm going to go dig into everything you suggested and double-check the prices at Centro and Uzishop.

Nowadays, since you install Windows from a USB stick and download games directly from the internet, you probably won't need one. Maybe if a kid wants to borrow discs from a friend or needs something for school, but that's about it...

Nicole Garcia43 said:You guys are absolute lifesavers, seriously! I know you all had to carve out time from your lives for this, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve spent days staring at specs and learning things like how an Intel processor might be better than an AMD one, or that AMD is cheaper and totally fine for gaming, but honestly... that's about as far as my brain can take me. So, everyone, once again 🙏

Initially, I was looking at a gaming laptop in this price range because it seemed like a cleaner, more streamlined solution, but everyone convinced me that a PC is the way to go. We only have one TV in the house—mostly just out of principle—so I am absolutely not handing that over for gaming. 😁 Thanks again.

Thanks so much. One question though: do I actually need an optical drive? What would I even use it for?

😁 for picking from that link. I knew it wasn't a great idea, which is why I asked here. The only thing I liked about those pre-built solutions was that they claimed the configuration was tested, which makes me think nothing was put together incorrectly. Thank you so much.

Thanks, thanks so much. This advice was really helpful, both for the build and the Windows situation. I actually looked into that eBay option before, but I thought those keys wouldn't last forever... One more question though. I'm also going to need Office 2010. Should I buy that outright, or is it the same deal where I have to find a workaround?

Everything is getting a lot clearer now. I'm going to go dig into everything you suggested and double-check the prices at Centro and Uzishop.

Even when you're buying individual parts, they usually put everything together and test it; they aren't going to send you something that doesn't work. Unless you're just incredibly unlucky, I guess...

Nicole Garcia43 said:You guys are absolute lifesavers, seriously! I know you all had to carve out time from your lives for this, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve spent days staring at specs and learning things like how an Intel processor might be better than an AMD one, or that AMD is cheaper and totally fine for gaming, but honestly... that's about as far as my brain can take me. So, everyone, once again 🙏

Initially, I was looking at a gaming laptop in this price range because it seemed like a cleaner, more streamlined solution, but everyone convinced me that a PC is the way to go. We only have one TV in the house—mostly just out of principle—so I am absolutely not handing that over for gaming. 😁 Thanks again.

Thanks so much. One question though: do I actually need an optical drive? What would I even use it for?

😁 for picking from that link. I knew it wasn't a great idea, which is why I asked here. The only thing I liked about those pre-built solutions was that they claimed the configuration was tested, which makes me think nothing was put together incorrectly. Thank you so much.

Thanks, thanks so much. This advice was really helpful, both for the build and the Windows situation. I actually looked into that eBay option before, but I thought those keys wouldn't last forever... One more question though. I'm also going to need Office 2010. Should I buy that outright, or is it the same deal where I have to find a workaround?

Everything is getting a lot clearer now. I'm going to go dig into everything you suggested and double-check the prices at Centro and Uzishop.

Nobody can guarantee it'll stay active, but it probably is 😁 For that amount of $8.25 I guess it's worth the gamble; if it works, it works.

As for Office, there's free stuff like OpenOffice. If not, maybe just try to scrape by at first. Otherwise, Office is pretty pricey, and you can't even get 2010 anymore, just 2016. And that's either a subscription (Office 365) or a one-time buy that costs over $333. You could also check with your school; they might have a free or cheaper option, I know some colleges have stuff like that available.

George Taylor28 said:I'd say this definitely wasn't cheap at all

The cheapest one to pick up is probably $450...

Which Dell model were you actually looking at? There are a bunch of different versions out there. The cheapest one I came across (and I think fadedorca66 linked it too, if I recall correctly) didn't even have a fan that shuts off during idle

I wouldn't do that if I were you. Buying something today just to regret it six months from now isn't a great move.

You can grab this one from Micro Center; it should get to you by Monday or Tuesday:

https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Ca...N105TD5-4GD#kf
https://www.microcenter.com/products/detail...m_medium=click

There’s one at Best Buy, but it's $67 pricier:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/graphics-ca...i-dp-051800169
(might want to check if they actually have it in stock, though—probably out)

That 1060 3gb is also a decent enough deal for the price, as long as it comes with a warranty.