Abadede Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Gooday! I've been wanting to play GTA 4 every since it came out for the PC; though, I just didn't want want to spend the money required to build a decent computer. Time has passed, and I feel I shouldn't have to pay too much for a good rig to play GTA 4 well. I just need a motherboard, cpu, memory, and video card. From newegg.com, this is what I came up with: Motherboard - BIOSTAR TZ77B LGA 1155 CPU - Intel Core i5-2310 Sandy Bridge 2.9GHz Memory - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB Graphics card - EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Total cost: $447 USD Look, I don't want to spend anymore cash. If this rig won't play GTA 4 well, then that suck a$$! I hope you guys can make suggestions for better parts (if needed) while you shed or maintain the price. I appreciate any help you can throw at me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unc13bud Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 it will play it, but you didn't list your monitor's resolution? and are you wanting your settings to run the maximum? if so, no, it won't. it will run 1280x1024 at medium settings, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 I have a 24" display ran @ 1920x1200. It's ridiculous that PC version of this game has been out for about four years, and I still need to spend ~ $700 for the game to run well. Well, that ain't happening! Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 (edited) Can you please show us some info about your PSU (Power Supply)? Here's a hell of a build: Component Item Price Motherboard ASRock 970 EXTREME3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard $90 Processor AMD Phenom II X4 960T Zosma 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor $125 Memory Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory $40 Graphics Card HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Video Card $240 Total Grand Theft Auto IV @ Highest Settings w/ ENB @ 35-50 FPS $495 Notes * Free 8GB Flash Disk.* Free Dirt 3 game. * The CPU can be unlocked to six cores. * My best build I did so far here (thanks to yojo too) Edited April 28, 2012 by PrometheusX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 I'd consider getting a mobo with AM3+ CPUs support for future upgrades, for example http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813157280 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 My PSU is Corsair vx550w: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817139004 PrometheusX, what resolution do you play at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 My PSU is Corsair vx550w: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817139004 PrometheusX, what resolution do you play at? Good PSU, I'm talking about 1080p, but 1200 res isn't much difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unc13bud Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 original poster, i am sorry. because i don't really buy new ntel processors, i forget which chip is which, so i assumed the chip you linked was dual core. it blows my mind that intel has i5-23xx that are quad core http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_i5/Inte...623I52310).html and i5-24xx that are dual core...iirc the ones in coworkers machines, and clearanced laptops at office depot. that configuration should play at high settings @ 40 fps 1920x1200, but in my case, traffic is turned off and shadows are set to low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 So unc13bud, are you saying that what I configured up above is great for GTA 4? If so, great! Now I must choose between the Intel or AMD build. I want to stick with Intel, and it's cheaper. Guys, please help me choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 (edited) So unc13bud, are you saying that what I configured up above is great for GTA 4? If so, great! Now I must choose between the Intel or AMD build. I want to stick with Intel, and it's cheaper. Guys, please help me choose. Actually the AMD build is much better and cheaper, an equivalent Intel build would cost $100 more, also the AMD CPU can be unlocked to six cores, not to mention that the GPU is almost equivalent to a 570! Edited April 28, 2012 by PrometheusX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unc13bud Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 I want to stick with Intel, and it's cheaper. whichever one you chose, the forum will help you with any performance issues. if you want the intel choice, choose intel. i buy whatever's on sale and tweak gta IV to play it. i choose amd for new builds because as the above poster said, its cheaper. however my Llano build (a8-3870k - currently the most playing time) is only being played at 1024x768. for resolutions above that, a quad core cpu (3 ghz or better) is best. i may go into detail later, but i swapped my amd x4 925 (2.8 ghz - 3.22 ghz) with a x4 975 (3.6 ghz) as the board http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introd...on.php?S_ID=344 doesn't support 125w quad cores (125w dual cores work), the machine would only run at 800 mhz. this still ran TBOGT, but with mild frame issues at 1920x1200. after i "updated" the bios, a dialogue on post started popping up "whup, 125w processor is installed! must shut down..." etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 original poster, i am sorry. because i don't really buy new ntel processors, i forget which chip is which, so i assumed the chip you linked was dual core. it blows my mind that intel has i5-23xx that are quad core http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_i5/Inte...623I52310).html and i5-24xx that are dual core...iirc the ones in coworkers machines, and clearanced laptops at office depot. Every desktop i5-24XX is a quad core. The only desktop Sandy Bridge based i5 that is a dual core is i5-2390T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 PrometheusX, the video card you recommended/have is PCI Express 3.0 x16. The motherboard you recommended/have is PCI Express 2.0 x16. SO wouldn't the video card be locked down to PCI Express 2.0 x16 speeds? Moving on, I want to go with your build recommendations; however, I want to save some money. I want to know if the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 would work well? Including shipping cost, the card is $42 cheaper than the one you have/recommend. I'm already over my original undisclosed total budget of $430, I still have to buy GTA IV (~$20), and thermal paste for the CPU (~$10). Supplementing your card for the ZOTAC, getting the rest of your system parts, and getting the game & paste = $483. I like that number! It's doable. I hope you guys can give me the green light (or suggest parts that'll keep me under $483.). Thanks some more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 PrometheusX, the video card you recommended/have is PCI Express 3.0 x16. The motherboard you recommended/have is PCI Express 2.0 x16. SO wouldn't the video card be locked down to PCI Express 2.0 x16 speeds? Moving on, I want to go with your build recommendations; however, I want to save some money. I want to know if the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 would work well? Including shipping cost, the card is $42 cheaper than the one you have/recommend. I'm already over my original undisclosed total budget of $430, I still have to buy GTA IV (~$20), and thermal paste for the CPU (~$10). Supplementing your card for the ZOTAC, getting the rest of your system parts, and getting the game & paste = $483. I like that number! It's doable. I hope you guys can give me the green light (or suggest parts that'll keep me under $483.). Thanks some more! That's some decrease in performance, but I'm not sure. The 560 seems the best option in your budget. Wait for other opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Going from 3.0 16x to 2.0 16x won't change the performance much, if at all. -5% tops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 YOU GUYS MAKE ME SICK! Okay, ya'll convinced me to get PrometheusX recommendations, but I want to get this card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16. It costs a bit more, but I get a MIR making the cost cheaper than the other card. Good idea? Hey, how's the sound on that motherboard, and would it be better for me to get my originally selected memory? Oh, will either cards also play GTA 2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luceberg Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Hey, how's the sound on that motherboard, and would it be better for me to get my originally selected memory? Generally, the on board motherboard sound is not that good. A good sound card can be had quite cheap, ie the Asus Zonar dg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829132020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 YOU GUYS MAKE ME SICK! Okay, ya'll convinced me to get PrometheusX recommendations, but I want to get this card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16. It costs a bit more, but I get a MIR making the cost cheaper than the other card. Good idea? IMHO HD7850 > GTX560Ti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Alright, I'll get what PrometheusX has, but can I switch out his memory with what I had configured: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB? It has five eggs and over a 1000 reviews. I will be sticking with my curent sound card - Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS. That one should work well with GTA 4, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unc13bud Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 vista and 7 were having some kind of controversy as far as recognizing audio cards - i guess its fixed http://raincomputers.com/windows-watch/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkey82 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 YOU GUYS MAKE ME SICK! Okay, ya'll convinced me to get PrometheusX recommendations, but I want to get this card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16. It costs a bit more, but I get a MIR making the cost cheaper than the other card. Good idea? IMHO HD7850 > GTX560Ti. http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardw...-review-19.html The 2GB version can be had a bit cheaper too. And if AMD sorts out the drivers (in a future far far away) it may really pick up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Okay, I purchased the components. For $10 more, I got this ram instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820231460 (reg $60 - $10 code = $50.). When I get everything hooked up, I'll be asking you guys for overclocking and tweaking recommendations. This is for you guys: And again, with this new system be able to also play GTA 2, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Yes it will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Alright, I got the computer setup and running all the new parts. I'm ready for you guys to tell me how to safely overclocking the CPU, video, and whatever (I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, and I'm using the stock cooling.). My componets: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 AMD Phenom II X4 960T Zosma 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ASRock 970 EXTREME3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I think it's better for you to ask this in the Tech & PC Chat, you'll receive more help there. As for the GPU, check this: AMD Radeon HD 7850 Video Card Review | Overclocking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkey82 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 For overclocking it's much better to ask on dedicated forums, like the one on extreme overclocking. I'll list only a few points for you here - from my personal experience, CPU overclocks can be rather lucrative for GTAIV. For about 20% higher clock speed I received about 10% (a rough estimate) higher FPS, with notably smoother experience - GPU overclocks I tried did nothing for me in GTAIV. Noted, 4870 is not the best card for overclocking, especially the one with 512MB of VRAM - generally, for serious overclocking you'll need to invest in better cooling, this is especially true for AMD processors - when comparing your results with ones you can find on the web, keep in mind there are many factors that constitute a good overclock; everything counts: PSU, mobo and CPU as well as how well they fit together. Also, never forget that even if you have the same setup as someone else, there's always going to be differences in margins, hence you'll get various results - your first step is to find your CPU maximum safe temperature and make sure you never go past it - second step, I recommend you grab your motherboard manual and start reading, figuring out which values you have at your disposal and what do they stand for Remember that all equipment functions on the principle of white smoke, that is every units functions until the white smoke comes out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 When I tried OCing, higher clocks on the GPU (GTX470) actually did improve the FPS. Not as much as the CPU, but still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abadede Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Thanks to good ole PrometheusX, I got the GPU overclocking done. Now I'm off to Tech & PC Chat for the CPU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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