video card upgrade

[mildwin]

Have bought Sims 3 for daughter only to find out that my PC does not have the relevant grahics card. Need 128 MB video card which supports Pixel Shader 2. We have a Dell Dimension 3000, with Intel 82865g graphics controller. Any ideas as to what card I need to get and installing it. Must add that I am not technically minded, so the simpler the better!
Thanks

[ACtheTROLL]

your PC is borderline - you could be wasting your time

the big question is which processor - p4 or celeron
right click my computer | properties | general
what processor - how much memory is fitted



yours
�Intel Celeron D 330 (2.66GHz) Processor - mmmm?
aslo came with p4 processor - might be OK ???
�512MB PC3200 DDR Memory - NO
�80GB 7,200rpm Hard Drive - OK
�48x CD-RW Combo Optical Drive - needs DVD
�AC'97 Audio with Dell A215 Stereo Speakers - OK
�Intel Extreme 2 Integrated Graphics with 64MB Shared Memory - NO
�Dell E773c 17" CRT Monitor OK
�Windows XP Home

they say required
PC Desktop - XP (Service Pack 2)
- Processor Pentium IV 2.0 GHz / Athlon XP 2000+
- Memory 1 GB
- Graphics GeForce FX 5900 / Radeon 9500
- Graphics Ram 128 MB

PC Desktop - Vista (Service Pack 1)
- Processor: Pentium IV 2.4 GHz / Athlon XP 2400+
- Memory: 1.5 GB
- Graphics: GeForce FX 5900 / Radeon 9500
- Graphics Ram: 128 MB

Laptop - XP (Service Pack 2)
- Processor: Pentium IV 2.4 GHz / Athlon XP 2400+
- Memory: 1.5 GB
- Graphics GeForce: G- 6200 / Radeon mobile 9600
- Graphics Ram: 128 MB

Laptop - Vista (Service Pack 1)
- Processor Pentium: IV 2.4 GHz / Athlon XP 2400+
- Memory: 2.0 GB
- Graphics: GeForce G- 6200 / Radeon mobile 9600
- Graphics: 128 MB

[mildwin]

It is Celeron, 2.66GHZ, 512MB of RAM

[ACtheTROLL]

it's almost certainly not going to do it
hopefully one of the techy "nerds" ;-) will give their opinion

I think it's borderline NO
there are reviews that say the minimum spec is set too low (they usually are)

the celeron is a "cut down" version of the P4 type processor

you have half the required memory (more is good)
another 512 is �21.84
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listparts.aspx ?model=Dimension%203000


the video card looks to be pci
this sums it up
will Sims 3 run on a PCI video card? if so what card? and where from? I had a look on Umart and all the cards under the PCI section are PCIe for some reason.
Cheers
Mike

anchor
posted 2009-Jun-23, 11am AEST

User #278708 251 posts
koolio1234
Forum Regular
I highly doubt it. Im sorry to say that PCI is quite old technology in terms of video cards and I can pretty much gurantee none will play it as far as I know. Some AGP cards cant even play it.

[ACtheTROLL]

oh and the original machine came with a CD drive ... I'm uessing that the game comes on DVD?


really sorry to be the one that does it ... but while the processor just might be ok (probably not)

the rest of the machine won't

this could just be the most expensive game you ever bought ... because it's going to cost a minimum of about �350 to get it running

don't even think about a laptop in that pricerange - the graphics on a budget laptop are rarely up to the job.

anyone able to throw a ray of hope here?

[ChuckFickens]

What is it with all these sims3 questions lately?

Anyhow,

if you have an AGP port in that machine then a 128Gb grapihics card would be cheap on ebay, upgrade the ram (do that regardless if you keep the machine, 512 is not enough for windows, let alone a game!!) and it would run, just....

set the graphics resolution as low as you can in the game (or in windows before running the game if it the game insists in running in the windows res) turn the colour depth down if you can too, and it might run OK'ish...

But overall, give up with the idea, "computer said no!" it's just not going to play new games!

[daffy654]

Chuck.....when you install The Sims it will automatically set all options to what it thinks your PC can comfortably support - so there should be no need for mildwin to go into the options menu (in-game) at all :)

[ChuckFickens]

IS there no options to override what it thinks then?

Oh well, I wouldn't know, I don't play games on a PC, PC's are for PC type stuff, if I want to play games I have an Xbox360.

[mildwin]

Thanks for all the replies. Have been to PC World today who informed that to be able to play Sims 3 on the pc we have I would be looking at spending at least �120. Looked at purchasing a new PC, gaming PC, saw this, was recommended by bloke in store. Wondering if it would worth upgrading to a new PC. The specs are:

Packard Bell iXtreme X6618UK - Quad-Core PC with 4GB memory and 1GB graphics

Intel� Core 2 Quad Q8200, (2.33GHz), Vista� Home Premium, 4GB DDR2 memory, 640GB SATA hard drive and 1GB NVIDIA� GeForce GT120 graphics, Dual Layer DVD Rewriter, 8x USB and 1x FireWire port, Media card reader

[daffy654]

That sounds like a good machine mildwin,it all depends on the price quoted though :) Yoy may be able to find a better PC for less money elsewhere.

Chuck... You can override the default settings on The Sims but it gives loads of nag screens asking if you're sure etc.

[mildwin]

In PC World it was �629. They did have other gaming PCs but they this was probably the cheapest of them all.

[ACtheTROLL]

do you realise that this doesn't include keyboard and monitor?

and it's p@ckard bell (that's why it's the cheapest in the shop) - and it's from PC wurld



I have a mesh - it's a good machine - well built - and they almost always get good reviews - or win the editor's choice

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE =PRODCATEGORYVIEWPAGE&USG=APPLICATION&ENT=APPL ICATION&KEY=124977

another alternative
you can match the PB spec exactly
AND get a 22" monitor
for the same price (almost)

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE =PRODUCTCONFIGPAGE&USG=PRODUCT&ENT=PRODUCT&KEY =559823

see below
Additional Items: upgrade 78926 Intel� Core� 2 Quad Q8200 Quad Core Processor(2.33GHz,4MB Cache,1333MHz) [�79.00]
upgrade 78924 Genuine Windows Vista� Home Premium SP1, 64-bit + Windows 7 Upgrade Option - English [�15.00]
upgrade 78923 New Stylish Mini-Tower Micro ATX Chassis with 550W PSU - Piano Black [�30.00]
upgrade 78927 1GB ATI HD4670 Graphics accelerator - DVI, DirectX 10.1 PCI Express 2 [�60.00]
upgrade 78918 22" Iiyama ProLite E2208HDS-1 (1920x1080) Full HD Monitor (DVI,VGA,WS,Spkrs - 5ms) [�65.00]

Removed Items:

Base Price �399.00 inc VAT
Additional Items �286.35 inc VAT
Removed Items �0.00 inc VAT
Total �685.35 inc VAT
(�595.96 ex VAT )

[mildwin]

Thanks for that. I hadn't realised that it didn't include the monitor, etc. In the shop it was displayed with monitor, keyboard, etc so I just assumed it was all included. I will have to look around I guess. I am on a budget, could no way afford some of the gaming pcs out there. Would I have to look specifically for a gaming pc or just a pc that has more than enough memory, graphics, etc, required for the Sims 3. This is proving to be one expensive computer game!!

[ACtheTROLL]

no

sims is ridiculously resource hungry ... but it's not a "real" game

if you look at the mesh site ... the link I showed can be modified to just about the same spec as the PB machine ... but also includes a 22" monitor and keyboard
stick a TV dongle on the side ... and with any luck you won't see the kid until their 19th birthday

if you need to reduce the costs - a 17 or 19" monitor is cheaper

the next processor down will still deliver the goods

and look at the mesh matrix - a budget machine that will still run the game with a couple of addons

PC world know they can charge a premium
plus they have shop costs to cover

most of the direct suppliers sell online ... and thus don't have a massive chain of shops to support

the market is cut throat - so prices will be significantly lower