New PC

[Flanyboy]

I am buying a new PC through HP today and the best offer is a pre built fast ship model that you can't customize. The Computer's specs are as follows.


PROCESSOR • AMD Phenom™ II 925 Quad-Core Processor
PROCESSOR SPEED • 2.80GHz
CHIPSET • AMD 785G Chipset
CACHE • 2MB L2 Cache + 6MB Shared L3 Cache
BUS SPEED • 4000MHz System Bus
MEMORY • 8GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM memory
HARD DRIVE • 1TB [7200RPM Serial ATA
VIDEO GRAPHICS • ATI RadeonTM HD 4200 integrated graphics

I know the graphics is integrated and the system requirements for the game state that you shouldn't get an integrated chip set but given the large amount of RAM that the integrated chip set will have to draw from would that really be an issue?

The PC is a desktop so if I need to purchase a GPU it does have PCI express slots available to do so but I would probably have to wait another month on that.


On a side note my dual core laptop with an integrated GPU and 1.5 GB of Ram ran Take Command 2 just fine... At least the mid sized to smaller battles, I never played a battle larger than a Corps sized fight.

[Braxton Bragg]

Very Good spec! dont worry about the intergrated graphics issue my Desktop has that and it runs damn fast with everything maxed out

Braxton Bragg

[norb]

I develop on almost that exact machine!

[drhet58]

Being that you got some speed and RAM I think it'll be fine, but I still feel that a stand alone GPU will out-do an onboard any day. That all depends on the outlay you have left over from the purchase tho!!:) Should have a good time with it as is. Enjoy your new toy!:cheer:

[RDBoles]

I think I will save up for something like that, reads great.

[Flanyboy]

drhet58 I do intend to add a dedicated GPU to the computer before long. The computer has 1 PCI Express x16 and 3 PCI Express x3 slots available so I should definitely be able to upgrade. I am intending on getting an ATI 1 GB graphics card but that is probably another month or two down the line.

I wanted an Intel because I have heard that AMD's have memory leak issues from time to time but I couldn't justify spending $200 more just to get Intel's equivalent. The Phenom II is AMD's newest Chipset so I am pretty confident it will be solid either way.

Norb, that is reassuring, would you recommend a dedicated Nvidea or ATI card? The people I typically talk to about computers say that ATI's work better with AMD's and that Nvidea's are more optimized for Intel's.

[Davinci]

I guess that the only answer here is, whatever you decide is the right choice.

But, if I were going to buy a new computer, I would never get one that has a integrated graphics card .

These are not usually designed to work very well with games. Although some say that they do, while others claim that they don’t.

Also – when adding a PCI-E Graphics Card – later on down the road, you have to make sure that the Power Supply is going to handle the extra-load.

I like the HP desktop computers – they seem to hold up very well, and last for several years. Basically it is the only Computer brand that I have had going on ten years.

The computer world is equally divided between Intel vs AMD , and ATI vs NVidia – each group seems to have their own dedicated followers.

The worst mistake that I used to make was rushing out to buy a new computer, only to spend the next several months, and several hundred dollars, trying to add to it to make it faster.

It is best to buy something that you will not have to add anything for the next several years.

davinci

[Flanyboy]

The only thing I need to add to this machine is a dedicated graphics card. The problem with getting everything I needed was this was one of their fast to order computers that you couldn't modify. That means its less expensive because your not custom building it. If I tried to build the same system with all the same items and just add a graphics card it would have been $200-$300 more expensive. That doesn't make sense when I can simply add a dedicated GPU later for 1/3 that cost.

And yes my power supply can definitely handle a 1 GB dedicated GPU.

[Davinci]

And yes my power supply can definitely handle a 1 GB dedicated GPU.

Hey, if you are happy then that is all that matters.

I like everything about the system except the integrated graphics chip; this seems to cause a bottle-neck with certain types of software.

I still didn’t find any information about the default power supply; you are talking about the HP p6640f desktop, correct ?

It is still faster than my current system, and I can run the game, OK!

davinci

[Flanyboy]

Yes unfortunately the power supply is only a 250W and I am finding conflicting reports on if its safe to run ATI graphics cards on that power supply. Even the 5450 which is only a 512 Mb card and the 1 GB 5550 are stated to need a 400w according to ATI but most of the reviews by users claim that ATI is just trying to cover themselves from the GPU burning out cheap power supplies and most reviewers also tend to agree that HP power supplies are at least reliable and should be able to handle either of those cards.

After all HP ships a 250w power supply with the models of their desktops that come with 5450s.