Topic: What Do I Need To Run Half Life 2 Decently? (Read 317 times)

--DANNY-- · « **on:** August 14, 2005, 04:42:00 PM »

My shitty, but efficient enough, computer consists of...
-AMD Athlon XP 1800+, 1.55 GHz processor
-256 MB Ram (but 64 MB is shared with onboard video chipset) so only 192 MB Ram available
-Asrock K7S41GX motherboard

My soundcard, harddrives, and cooling are superb. It's a shame I'm using it all in a slower comptuer...

So anyways... I can run Halo PC decently. Not great, not good, not poor, decently... it's like a small step above poor. It's with it running at the lowest resolution with no shading, lol that's what it takes to get it to play at a decent fps without video lag.

I can play CS fairly well.

But I want to buy Half Life 2 and CS:Source. So in order to play decently, how should I upgrade my computer?

Would just adding 512/1024 MB of ram help? Or just a nice video card? (I'm looking at the Sapphire Radeon 9600XT 256MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card) Or would I need to upgrade my ram and video card both?

Or is my processor just not enough to handle Half Life 2 or CS:S very well no matter what video card or ram I have???

Thanks for your help,
-Danny

--DANNY-- · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2005, 05:08:00 PM »

IC... so my processor only being 1.55GHz wouldn't hurt anything? I'd just need to add like 512 ram and put in a nice video card, like the 9600?

And would this give me like decent results during gameplay and graphics? Or great results?

SniperKilla · « **Reply #2 on:** August 14, 2005, 05:10:00 PM »

a 9600 isint close to being a 'nice' video card.. sure its 'nice' compared to onboard.. but is at the very low end of cards nowadays... but anything better.. isint going to help.. as your CPU will be the system bottleneck

SniperKilla · « **Reply #3 on:** August 14, 2005, 05:30:00 PM »

shit for that price he can get a 6600GT which embarrasses the 9800pro

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814130220

--DANNY-- · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2005, 05:52:00 PM »

I mentioned the 9600 because you can get the one in my first post for like $65 off of newegg. And I really don't want to have to spend over TOPS $120 total for just my video card and ram. Ram I can get fairly cheap... Like $30 for a 512 stick of ddr.

And about my cpu... will it constrict the video card to not work at full performance level?

SniperKilla · « **Reply #5 on:** August 14, 2005, 07:22:00 PM »

QUOTE(--DANNY-- @ Aug 14 2005, 08:03 PM)

And I really don't want to have to spend over TOPS $120 total for just my video card and ram.

--DANNY-- · « **Reply #6 on:** August 14, 2005, 07:37:00 PM »

well... I'm not trying to run it phenomenally well. I would be satisfied with it at the lowest resolution and only medium for all graphics settings.

I don't want to spend more than $90-ish on a video card.
There are plenty of decent video cards in that range...
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814103165
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814150094
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102344

So none of those cards could decently handle Half Life 2? On a pc with 1gb ram (That's what I'm upgrading to)?

I know that they would be able to handle CS:S because I can play CS right now and it's fairly decent graphics...
Again... I don't want a kickass gaming pc... I want something that I can enjoy a game on... not have an absofuckinlutely phenomenal gaming experience, lol

SniperKilla · « **Reply #7 on:** August 14, 2005, 07:47:00 PM »

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814153018

better then all 3 and worth the extra 20 bucks

--DANNY-- · « **Reply #8 on:** August 14, 2005, 08:47:00 PM »

QUOTE(SniperKilla @ Aug 14 2005, 07:58 PM)

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814153018
better then all 3 and worth the extra 20 bucks

Thanks for the suggestion, I deffinately may buy that one now.

QUOTE(jaroc @ Aug 14 2005, 08:15 PM)

Do what you want, but you're gonna be back here like a year from now asking what to upgrade because your vid card is obsolete

I don't think you understand me here... I am not a pc gamer at ALL! I have played Counter Strike a total of like twice and Halo PC maybe 3 times total. I personally don't like pc games. But I thought that I should give em a try using my xbox controller as a gamepad on my pc, so I wired it up and it works in Halo PC. So then I kinda got into the whole pc gaming thing. So I want to see what all the fuss is about Half Life 2. I'm not going to be always playing the latest pc games, looking for the best video quality...

I am just looking for a video card that is fairly cheap and will run CS:S and HL2 "decently".

Thanks for the reply's and suggestions so far guys!
-Danny

Raver758 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 15, 2005, 12:08:00 AM »

Danny listen, and I hope you really take what Im saying in consideration. When I got my pc, all I wanted to play was half life 2 and css because that only what I played. I didnt want no 6800 or x500, hell Im not down for spending more money on a video card then half my pc. Overtime I got into more games, with my new computer I realized that I should have got a better graphics card. Not only was I playing the games I only wanted to play but because of having a new computer and I saw the amazing graphics I wanted to play more games you know at least take advantage of my computer, and well I ended up paying for a bigger video card. If you want my honest advice, get yourself a nice 6600gt or par to ATI, It does not matter, I would go with NVIDIA though, and make yourself feel better about any games you do decide to play in the future other then half life and css because believe me it will draw you in.

--DANNY-- · « **Reply #10 on:** August 15, 2005, 12:37:00 AM »

QUOTE(Raver758 @ Aug 15 2005, 12:19 AM)

Danny listen, and I hope you really take what Im saying in consideration. When I got my pc, all I wanted to play was half life 2 and css because that only what I played. I didnt want no 6800 or x500, hell Im not down for spending more money on a video card then half my pc. Overtime I got into more games, with my new computer I realized that I should have got a better graphics card. Not only was I playing the games I only wanted to play but because of having a new computer and I saw the amazing graphics I wanted to play more games you know at least take advantage of my computer, and well I ended up paying for a bigger video card. If you want my honest advice, get yourself a nice 6600gt or par to ATI, It does not matter, I would go with NVIDIA though, and make yourself feel better about any games you do decide to play in the future other then half life and css because believe me it will draw you in.

Ya, I really understand your position on this. In fact, I take the same stand.
BUT... I have been exposed to pc games for like 3 years now, I've played CS, like once a year for the past 3. I've played several pc games, and beat them. I just don't really ever get to the point where I want to pay more than $100 just to see better graphics or to play a game. I can guarantee that I'll never be an avid pc gamer. So I know that I'm not going to get too heavily into it.
I just want a video card that can play CS:S and maybe Half Life 2 at a decent quality. Not superb, or not decent for any games coming out in the future that will require a badass video card.

So thanks for your advice everyone, I think I know what I need and what I'm getting now,
-Danny

SniperKilla · « **Reply #11 on:** August 15, 2005, 01:04:00 AM »

QUOTE(--DANNY-- @ Aug 14 2005, 09:48 PM)

I know that they would be able to handle CS:S because I can play CS right now and it's fairly decent graphics...

deftonesmx17 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 15, 2005, 08:28:00 AM »

If you just want to play with the Source engine a 9600 Pro or XT will be more than fine.

Why?

Maybe because I used to have a 9500 Pro and it ran Half-Life 2 @ around 40 fps with 2xAA and 16xAF @1024x768. I now have a 9800XT and it runs @ around 50 fps with 6xAA and 16xAF.

There is no need for you to buy a Nvidia 6600GT or an ATI x800.

My old system that ran HL2 and Far Cry just fine was an AMD Athlon XP 2500+, Shuttle AN35/N Ultra, 1GB of pc2700 DDR333, Radeon 9500 Pro, SoundBlaster Audigy, ATA 100 2MB Cache 160GB IDE HDD.

Nothing in that old system was high-end and I could play all games just fine.

SniperKilla · « **Reply #13 on:** August 15, 2005, 09:16:00 AM »

QUOTE(deftonesmx17 @ Aug 15 2005, 10:39 AM)

If you just want to play with the Source engine a 9600 Pro or XT will be more than fine.

deftonesmx17 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 15, 2005, 09:30:00 AM »

QUOTE(SniperKilla @ Aug 15 2005, 11:27 AM)

that system ran farcry fine? ha.. must have been 800x600x16 @ low settings.. farcry is taxing even on todays high end systems

More like 1024x768x32 @ High Settings.

With a 9800XT I can run Far Cry @ 1024x768x32, very high, water quality on ultra high, the AF setting on 4 and Medium-AA(4xAA) and it runs fine.

Oh and my current system is only an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice, MSI Neo2 Platinum, 1GB of PC3200 DDR400, SoundBlaster Audigy,and 3 SATA 8MB Cache 160GB HDD's.

Just because you are a PC enthusiast, doesnt mean everyone else that wants to play PC games should be. He just wants a cheap system that will play games on the default auto-detected graphical settings.

Author Topic: What Do I Need To Run Half Life 2 Decently? (Read 317 times)