Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 05:51:42 pm

Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 05:51:42 pm: I bought Halo PC, yet my computer does not meet the specs on microsoft.com... It requires "733 MHz equivalent or higher processor" and "32 MB T&L capable video card required"

I have 450MHz, and a 'NVIDIA RIVA TNT' video card... whatever that is... If i get the bare minimums video card so it just passes the T&L requirement, what should i expect so spend? Also, how easy is it to change proscessors to get at least 1 GHz, and how much will that run me? Any predictions?
--Hippo
Title: What do i need?
Post by: diamondgeezer on October 03, 2003, 06:06:24 pm: No offence but I'n not touching that system with a barge pole. Consider that you'll prolly be looking at a new motherboard to support a bigger CPU, and you're basically talking about a new computer (as far as the insides go)
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 06:10:28 pm: yeah, but that won't happen... my parents won't let me get a new computer till i go to college... the closest i'll be able to get is upgrades... the rest of the system is pretty good... 86Gigs hdd, 320Mb Ram, so it looks as if these are the only two things lacking compared to the rest anyway...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: vyper on October 03, 2003, 06:14:57 pm: New motherboard - Socket A - Athlon XP 2300 (or whatever they have in that range). Perhaps an upgrade to a Radeon 9600 or 9800 depending on price range?
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 06:22:50 pm: I was thinking a bit cheaper then Radeon, like the bare minimums... Even if I have to get them used...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Jonathan_S47 on October 03, 2003, 06:23:04 pm: If you search hard enough you should be able to find some old P3 733 or 750MHz processors. They should be really cheap by now. As for the video card, while the TNT2 does have some T&L functionality it is very old and slow. Anything Geforce and above will work perfectly fine. You can find some of the GeForce 3 and 4 cards really cheap now.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 06:28:16 pm: Ebays lowest price for Geforce 3 is over $400... Im planning a trip to my local gateway o see what deals they can get me there, but they might not carry video cards...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Martinus on October 03, 2003, 06:28:22 pm: [color=66ff00]Just get a new mobo and chip, build it into the old case and say nowt. :D
[/color]
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 06:29:35 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Maeglamor
[color=66ff00]Just get a new mobo and chip, build it into the old case and say nowt. :D
[/color]

Yes, but im looking for what you think is an acceptable price for said things also...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Martinus on October 03, 2003, 06:32:40 pm: [color=66ff00]American or europe (well, specifically UK)?
[/color]
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Shadow_jdct on October 03, 2003, 06:34:39 pm: There's something really screwed up about Halo PC. I bought it. My comp is Celeron 1700, Nvidia Geforce 4 MX440 , 256 RAM etc, way above the required specs. and i can barely run Halo smooth when I have the graphics as low as theyll go in game.:mad:
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 06:45:21 pm: Americian $$s, and microsofts website says it needs at least pentium...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Jonathan_S47 on October 03, 2003, 07:05:56 pm: go to pricewatch.com they have a good listing of hardware that should work for you.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Drew on October 03, 2003, 07:24:20 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Hippo
Ebays lowest price for Geforce 3 is over $400... Im planning a trip to my local gateway o see what deals they can get me there, but they might not carry video cards...

WTF? i found a GeforceFX 5200 at Sams club for only $80!!!!
And never buy stuff from Gateway... (unless its a brand new PC)

Shadow_jdct, its probably your ram.... are you running XP?
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 03, 2003, 07:30:14 pm: Well, my parents did one smart thing... they bought a lifetime discount through gateway when we got our first pc, and we et 20% off everything more then 6 months old...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: diamondgeezer on October 03, 2003, 07:43:57 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Hippo
Ebays lowest price for Geforce 3 is over $400...

Someone's pulling your plonker, squire
Title: What do i need?
Post by: StratComm on October 03, 2003, 07:46:14 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Hippo
Americian $$s, and microsofts website says it needs at least pentium...

"At least a Pentium" as in not a 386. A Celeron is a less expensive chip in most cases, but a good one is faster than anything below a P4 (and some early P4's too). It's a server processor isn't it? Not quite as fast but with a bigger cache? At any rate, that's not the problem. Unless Halo is using Pentium-optimized code. Just because it isn't branded "Pentium" doesn't make it inferior. And I had HaloPC running just fine on my 3 year old system, though my graphics card screwed up anything that was supposed to look reflective (P4 1.4Ghz, 512 RAM) I think Halo's pretty RAM intensive, so that's likely your problem.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Galemp on October 03, 2003, 07:59:49 pm: *smacks Hippo*

I TOLD you it wouldn't run it! But you went out and bought it anyway!

*smacks Hippo again*
Title: What do i need?
Post by: 01010 on October 03, 2003, 08:59:51 pm: ::Giggles::

Halo REALLY struggles sometimes on my 2.1 XP with a GF4 Ti4200.

If you want to play it that badly it'd be cheaper for you to get an X-Box.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: redsniper on October 03, 2003, 09:43:48 pm: I've got 256 MB of RAM and it still runs kind of choppy. I guess it must be really RAM intensive.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Grey Wolf on October 04, 2003, 12:47:51 am: Quote
Originally posted by StratComm

"At least a Pentium" as in not a 386. A Celeron is a less expensive chip in most cases, but a good one is faster than anything below a P4 (and some early P4's too). It's a server processor isn't it? Not quite as fast but with a bigger cache?B]
Ack. No. Celeron IS inferior. Celeron is EVIL! Celerons are what they do with P4s that fail testing, but are salvagable. They disable most of the cache, killing off performance.
The only good Celeron is one based on the Tualatin core. All the modern ones are rather horrible.
If you're on a budget, get and AXP. If you have actual money, have fun and choose between an A64 and a P4 :)

And Hippo, here's a nice cheap comp part list for you:
Biostar M7NCD: $61.50
Athlon XP 1700+: $49
ATI Radeon 9500: $119 ($135 for the 128MB version)
512MB PC2700 RAM (2 256MB sticks): $83
Total: $312.50
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Ashrak on October 04, 2003, 12:51:18 am: ok you probly need a mobo about 1.5 ghz cpu and i would recommend a Ti4200
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Kamikaze on October 04, 2003, 02:03:19 am: Quote
Originally posted by StratComm
It's a server processor isn't it?

Nah, those are the Xeons (for Symmetric Multi Processing) or the Itaniums (sucky 64 bit bastards).

For the most longevity for your money, I'd say you want a cheap nforce 2 (You can get one with integrated graphics or not, I'd recommend a separate AGP vid card for performance) and a 2500+Barton (100 USD). The big ouch for upgrading now is the new BTX form factor coming next year. That'll instantly make your case, mobo, and graphics card obsolete.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Turnsky on October 04, 2003, 02:17:57 am: No offence hippo, but you should've looked at the reccomened system specs on the back or the bottom of the box before buying the game in the first place.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 04, 2003, 07:26:15 am: Quote
Originally posted by GalacticEmperor
*smacks Hippo*

I TOLD you it wouldn't run it! But you went out and bought it anyway!

*smacks Hippo again*

I bought it before anyone knew the system specs... I only found them on microsoft after the guy shipped it...

Quote
Biostar M7NCD: $61.50
Athlon XP 1700+: $49
ATI Radeon 9500: $119 ($135 for the 128MB version)
512MB PC2700 RAM (2 256MB sticks): $83
Total: $312.50

I don't need ram, and my computer only takes 128 sticks, I know the ATI is the vid card, but what are the Biostar and Athlon?
Title: What do i need?
Post by: kasperl on October 04, 2003, 07:29:29 am: athlon=processor.
biostar=mobo
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 04, 2003, 07:31:37 am: ok, i'll see what prices gateway gives me, and hen see if ebay is cheaper...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: vyper on October 04, 2003, 07:36:32 am: Try local small shops too.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: magatsu1 on October 04, 2003, 07:42:34 am: the very idea of "minimum requirements" is a joke.

look at the "recommended requirements" or you'll always be dissapointed Hippo. :nod:
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 04, 2003, 07:46:21 am: Small local shops? There are none in this forsaken, blighted town...

It only tells me that one group of specs... It doesn't say required or reccomended...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: magatsu1 on October 04, 2003, 07:54:57 am: have a sly look in magazines while your in the shop. That's whay I do when I'm not sure.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Shadow_jdct on October 04, 2003, 12:18:14 pm: On the Halo PC box it only has the required, not the recommended specs. I read somewhere that the comp needed to play Halo at best graphics perfectly will exist sometime in a year or so.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Galemp on October 04, 2003, 01:00:41 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Shadow_jdct
On the Halo PC box it only has the required, not the recommended specs. I read somewhere that the comp needed to play Halo at best graphics perfectly will exist sometime in a year or so.

Or you could buy a bloody X-Box. :mad:
Title: What do i need?
Post by: aldo_14 on October 04, 2003, 01:08:45 pm: I just got some stuff a coupla weeks ago;

Abit nforce2 motherboard, Athlon 2400XP+ (wi' fan), 512MB DDR400 (single stick - buying a second when I settle on a new case) & a GF FX5600 (Gainward, Ultra 760 or something) off of Dabs.com - came to about £350 all in all....

Unfortunately, my PSu in the old case appears to be dodgy (getitng voltage errors in the health check app), and the case itself - whilst being an ATX one - is so poorly designed that the drive cages actually obscure all but the slowest DIMM slot, and also make it extremely difficult to fit in the floppy cable (eventually had to tuck it in behind the drive cable)........

NB: - Athlon is the CPU (AMD - actually runs at around 1.5GHz but has comparable performance to a P4 of 1.7GHz, hence the 1700+ bit), and Biostar will be the Motherboard.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Hippo on October 04, 2003, 08:24:50 pm: well, gateway said it would be easier to buy a new computer, which is not going to happen according to my parents... So, i don't know who i hate more... my parents, or gateway...
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Kamikaze on October 04, 2003, 11:22:32 pm: It would be easier, but not cheaper.

You can probably salvage the PSU (depends on wattage/voltage), Case, RAM, fans, sound card (depends on if it's integrated) and IDE/SCSI drives.

You'll need a new motherboard, new processor, and new video card.

A new computer wouldn't cost as much as those three (unless you go for a sucky cheap one that's made for hardcore emailers).
Title: What do i need?
Post by: aldo_14 on October 05, 2003, 08:02:29 am: I have the PcGamer with the Halo review.... on the subject of min specs, it gives;

Min:P3 733, 128MB RAM, 32MB T&L 3d card
Recommended: P4 1.4GHz, 512MB RAM

To quote from the little box detailing system specs;

Quote

Anything over basic X-box stats (i.e. a Geforce 3 and an 800MHz processor) will ensure a decent performance. if there are problems, lower aprticle density or similar. you may get the odd lags in frame rate, but that makes it an even more accurate conversion: the Xbox had terrible slowdown, too. (Note: set specs at their lowest and the game may crash)

Hope thats of use.... although I'd suggest holding fire a few months, to see if the likes of the new AMD 64 bit chips and the ATI cards (plus nVidias counterattack) force another price drop....plus you'll be able to see the specs required for the likes of Doom3 & HL2, and there may even be a Halo-beater released by then (i'm holding out to see if Breed does turn out to be as good as I hope). I slightly regret not holding off a few months before I bought my stuff - but then again, I'd already put it off since about january :)
Title: What do i need?
Post by: magatsu1 on October 05, 2003, 03:14:13 pm: I hate slow down (and poor frame rates)
pretty much every N64 ganme had 'em both.

be better to have poor, but more stable, visuals.
Title: What do i need?
Post by: Grey Wolf on October 05, 2003, 03:21:55 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Kamikaze
It would be easier, but not cheaper.

You can probably salvage the PSU (depends on wattage/voltage), Case, RAM, fans, sound card (depends on if it's integrated) and IDE/SCSI drives.

You'll need a new motherboard, new processor, and new video card.

A new computer wouldn't cost as much as those three (unless you go for a sucky cheap one that's made for hardcore emailers).
RAM will probably have to be replaced, considering it's most likely SDRAM, not DDR SDRAM. And PSU you might want to replace too. I know Dell had screwy PSUs at one point (they rearranged the wires so it wasn't ATX standard), not sure about the other OEMs though.