Configuring my Computer

[Tom Hagan]

Well, I am buying a new computer. It is an Area-51® 3500 (Alienware). Now before everyone starts saying "Oh, it's not worth the money, I can build one for half the price", shut the f*ck up, 'cause I don't want to hear it.

 

I am trying to configure it, specifically to play battlefield 2.

 

Here are the BF2 System Requirments:

 

=====================================

System Requirements

=====================================

 

- Operating System

Windows XP (32 Bit Version)

 

- CPU

Battlefield 2 supports the following processors:

Intel Pentium 4

Intel Xeon

Intel Pentium Extreme Edition

Intel Celeron D

AMD Athlon XP

AMD Athlon 64

AMD Athlon 64-FX

AMD Sempron processor

 

- Minimum Specification:

CPU: 1.7 Ghz

RAM: 512 Mb

Video Card: NVidia GeForce FX 5700, ATI Radeon 8500 or ATI Radeon 9500

with 128 Mb of RAM

 

- Recommended Specification:

CPU: 2.4 Ghz

RAM: 1 Gb

Video Card with at least 256 Mb of RAM

 

- Video Cards

Battlefield 2 only supports the following video cards:

Radeon X700 (PCIe)

Radeon X600 (PCIe)

GeForce 6600 (PCIe)

GeForce PCX 5900 (PCIe)

GeForce 5800 Series (AGP)

ATI Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition

ATI Radeon X800 PRO

ATI Radeon 9800 Series

ATI Radeon 9600 Series

ATI Radeon 9550 (RV350LX)

ATI Radeon 9500 / 9700 Series

ATI Radeon 8500 Series

ATI Radeon X300 Series

NVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra

NVidia GeForce 6800 GT

NVidia GeForce 6800

NVidia GeForce FX 5950 Series

NVidia GeForce FX 5900 Series

NVidia GeForce FX 5700 Series

 

Here is where you can configure my computer.

 

Now, please don't go all out adding the top of the line everything. Make it reasonable, not something Bill Gates couldn't afford. All I want is something that I can play BF2 with, and not have to update the computers internals for a while.

 

Thanks.

[Platinum.]

Well my Intel Pentium 4 2.66GHZ proccesor (fairly cheap, less then £100) and my GeForce 6600GT (£100) and 1.5GB of ram (though you'll only need 1GB, which is about £80) plays Battlefield 2 perfectly on Medium settings.

 

If you're looking for maximum settings on the game, you're going to have to up the price by a lot.

[Tom Hagan]

Well, honeslty, the most I want to spend is around 1500 USD. Nothing much more.

 

EDIT:: Would this graphics card work?

 

256MB PCI-Express x16 ATI RADEON™ X550 Pro?

Edited February 5, 2006 by Tom Hagan

[Forfit]

It's hard for me to configure something good for you when it doesnt offer AMD cpu's (unless you want pentium) and a limited amount of Video cards to choose from on that model.

[Tom Hagan]

Pentium works for me, I just want a computer that will play BF2.

[Wolf68k]

If you're head strong on going with Alienware, that's fine it's your money. But look at some other builders like ibuypower.com and to be honest I can't think of anyone else off hand but I know there are others.

 

With what they have to offer here is what I would change:

RAM: 2GB [bF2 likes 1.5 and more better than 1GB; it hates 512MB despite what the requirements say]

HDD: if you can afford it then get the 16GB drive

GFX: Either the ATI X550 or the 6600LE, the 6200TC passable but without a doubt the onboard sucks

 

I took a trip over to ibuypower.com It's base Intel->Gamer EX is twice as good as that Alienware plus it's cheaper than adding the changes I suggested for the Alienware.

Admittly the Gamer EX comes with 1GB, but that's far better than starting off with 512MB.

Plus you can change the case and it's color; most of which if pick them will knock the price down a bit.

The Gamer EX in a nutshell; it's base parts and only the important ones

CPU: Socket 775 Pentium-4 Processor 640 [3.2GHz, 2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB, 64-Bit + HT Ready]

Mobo: ECS 945P-A i945P Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, USB 2.0 PCI-E MB {personally I would spend the extra $25 and get the ASUS}

RAM: 1024MB (512MB x2) DDR2-667 PC5300 (Corsair Value or Major Brand)

GFX: nVidia 6800GS 256MB {which will smoke anything that AW was offering}

HDD: 200 GB HARD DRIVE [serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 8M Cache]

CD/DVD x2: 16X DVD-ROM and 16X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive

Speakers: Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers + Subwoofer {ok I listed this as a bonus}

 

I'm NOT tell you to go to ibuypower.com I'm just trying to point out to shop around.

[Bond996]

If you're head strong on going with Alienware, that's fine it's your money. But look at some other builders like ibuypower.com and to be honest I can't think of anyone else off hand but I know there are others.

 

With what they have to offer here is what I would change:

RAM: 2GB [bF2 likes 1.5 and more better than 1GB; it hates 512MB despite what the requirements say]

HDD: if you can afford it then get the 16GB drive

GFX: Either the ATI X550 or the 6600LE, the 6200TC passable but without a doubt the onboard sucks

 

I took a trip over to ibuypower.com It's base Intel->Gamer EX is twice as good as that Alienware plus it's cheaper than adding the changes I suggested for the Alienware.

Admittly the Gamer EX comes with 1GB, but that's far better than starting off with 512MB.

Plus you can change the case and it's color; most of which if pick them will knock the price down a bit.

The Gamer EX in a nutshell; it's base parts and only the important ones

CPU: Socket 775 Pentium-4 Processor 640 [3.2GHz, 2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB, 64-Bit + HT Ready]

Mobo: ECS 945P-A i945P Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, USB 2.0 PCI-E MB {personally I would spend the extra $25 and get the ASUS}

RAM: 1024MB (512MB x2) DDR2-667 PC5300 (Corsair Value or Major Brand)

GFX: nVidia 6800GS 256MB {which will smoke anything that AW was offering}

HDD: 200 GB HARD DRIVE [serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 8M Cache]

CD/DVD x2: 16X DVD-ROM and 16X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive

Speakers: Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers + Subwoofer {ok I listed this as a bonus}

 

I'm NOT tell you to go to ibuypower.com I'm just trying to point out to shop around.

ABSPC.com is also an excellent vendor that would get you more than enough for BF2 for $1500. Again, your money and how you spend it is up to you, but the better the computer for the price, where you don't have to build it, it's hard to find a big disadvantage.

 

For BF2, follow what wolf said. However for graphics I'd at least stick to a regular 6600 or GT, and for ATI try to get an X600/700 or an X1600. Even those cards aren't going to last extremely long though, and would need replacing to run the most modern games well in the future. 7800GT's are getting pretty cheap, or 6800GS', and you could probably afford one either through Alienware, or off newegg it's not too hard to install just a card.

 

Try to get an AMD64 or an intel 6xx or higher. Both are 64-bit, and relatively beefy processors. Also definetly go for 2gb in BF2.