PC Upgrade Ideas?

Hey! I’ve got a Dell OptiPlex sitting here. I'm looking to play a few games here and there, maybe something like Euro Truck Simulator 2. I know this machine wasn't built for gaming, but right now, if I want to jump into Euro Truck Simulator 2, Mafia II, MotoGP, or F1, this is really all I have to work with. Here are the specs:

Pentium Dual Core 2.7
2GB DDR3
Some integrated graphics, looks like an x4500

That's about it. Would I actually notice a difference if I tossed in another 2GB of RAM and added an NVIDIA GeForce 210 1GB DDR3 low profile card?

Honestly, you won't see any real progress in gaming because that GPU is basically a paperweight; it’s really just there to push a signal to your monitor, kind of like integrated graphics.

So, I guess you'd need to hunt down a slightly better low-profile GPU—just make sure it doesn't pull too much power—and maybe bump up the RAM by another 2GB. It’ll cost you, and even then, it’s still going to be pretty mediocre. Honestly, you might be better off just starting to save for a new rig, or maybe sell this setup and put some cash toward something used (like a dual-core Celeron or Pentium paired with a decent card), which would actually get the job done.

+1 to buying everything brand new whenever you can swing it—once you've saved up enough cash, that is. Honestly, upgrading old parts feels like just throwing money down the drain...

http://www.dell.com/product_info.php?products_id=14038 With an upgrade to RAM 2GB DDR3, you should be able to run those games at a lower resolution, maybe something like 1024x768.

I don't know, that R7 240—especially the one with the 64-bit bus—is honestly a crime to be selling for $187.

I guess you could probably squeeze about 64mb out of that 2gb if you really had to.😬

😬

I'm guessing you aren't looking to drop that much cash... but maybe you could just pull the Seagate HDD out of that Dell and toss it into this build:

Crucial RAM 4GB DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL11
MSI H81M-P33 motherboard
MSI H81M-P33 NaviaTec ATX Tower PC Case, No PSU, NVT-921G
Intel Celeron G1820
NaviaTec PSU 500W, 4 SATA, NVT-ML500W

Total: $323

The integrated graphics might be a bit weaker than that R7 240, but everything would be brand new. You could probably claw back some of the cost by selling your old gear.