Rebane Posted November 3, 2000 Share Posted November 3, 2000 How can I improve performance most cheaply? Buy more RAM 64 MB? Update/overclock processor? How much can 233 2 MMX improved? I think upgrading my graphics accelerator is useless in current processor speed, right? ------------------ In the flat field I get bored... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Heidman Posted November 3, 2000 Share Posted November 3, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rebane: How can I improve performance most cheaply? Buy more RAM 64 MB? Update/overclock processor? How much can 233 2 MMX improved? I think upgrading my graphics accelerator is useless in current processor speed, right? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Well, IMO yu are at a point where it gets very ahrd to justify further upgrades to this system. Some more RAM never hurt, but other than that, you are at a point where a new motherboard, RAM, and processor are needed. Jeff Heidman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dirkd1976 Posted November 3, 2000 Share Posted November 3, 2000 If your looking for good prices on PC parts go to www.pricewatch.com. RAM prices a LOW right now, 128MB of PC133 RAM is only 53 dollars. Its cheap! They also have Voodoo 3 video cards for 53 dollars!! More RAM and a better video card will help out, but you may want to look into buying a new system soon. They also sell complete systems for cheap prices (under 500 bucks). They are pretty stripped down, but for a little more money and some elbow grease you can add more memory, a new video card and whatever else you want. Good luck man!! ------------------ Never mistake motion for action - Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wwb_99 Posted November 3, 2000 Share Posted November 3, 2000 1) Check out tomshardware.com, a wealth of info on overclocking, etc. 2) If I remeber correctly P2 233s don't take well to overclocking. Overclocking might well be a mute point if your motherboard is locked in at 66mhz anyways. 3) RAM always helps, but don't even bother with 64mb. Go for 128 PC133 SDRAM. It is portable to your next machine. 4) But my best adivice is to bite the bullet and invest in a AMD-based system. For about $700 without monitor you could have a brand-new, very modern system. Knock $400 or so off if you are willing to sign the next four years of internet access away to Micro$oft. The cheap way to go would be to replace your current motherboard, processor and add RAM but that would be a complex operation at best, and should only be attempted under expert guidance. Note that if you live in the Washington, DC area the CPCUG runs a 'Build your own PC' program which is designed to help novices build their own custom system. Similar programs might be availiable in your area. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted November 3, 2000 Share Posted November 3, 2000 What motherboard do you have ? If it supports the AMD K6-2/3's (if the motherboard is less than 2 years old it may) then it may be worth updating the CPU. K6-2's can be had for a very good price. Let me know what motherboard model and revision of the board you have & I can look it up (or you could) on the 'Net and find out what CPU's it will support. Edit: Didn't see that "2" appended to your 233 MMX. Yep, you'll max out with a PII 333 or a certain Celeron (depending on how long ago your motherboard had its last BIOS update). The AMD K6-2's I mentioned are only Socket 7 chips. Is your Banshee card an AGP or PCI ? If it's AGP, then it may be worth purchasing a higher end 3D card. There are a couple of problems with the Voodoo3 (which come in PCI or AGP) cards running over 1024 x 768 within CM, but that may be patched in the future. There should be some good values on the TNT2's out there (a 32Mb card - but your motherboard may have problems supporting one due to the heavier power requirements of the card). If you only have PCI slots, then it may not be worth a whole lot to upgrade your video card (other than to get better fog, smoke & transparency effects). A TNT2 or Voodoo3 PCI card could be a bit faster than your current Banshee. More memory will help speed up the larger scenarios (larger maps and more units), though I'm not sure how much of a difference you'll notice. [This message has been edited by Schrullenhaft (edited 11-03-2000).] [This message has been edited by Schrullenhaft (edited 11-03-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topi Posted November 3, 2000 Share Posted November 3, 2000 I am using a similar machine; upgrade from V2 12 Mb to TNT2M64 (PCI, 32 Mb) meant that even the largest scenarios are playable. First turn playback is slow and jerky, but then it is quite smooth, actually. (It seems that it slows down when it needs to load new graphics, most of which are loaded on turn 1.) Turn calculations in bigger scenarios can easily take minutes, tho. Topi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntelWeenie Posted November 3, 2000 Share Posted November 3, 2000 The fastest processor you're likely be able to run on your motherboard (without overclocking) is either a Pentium 2 333MHz or a Celeron. How fast a Celeron depends on the clock multipliers available on your motherboard (I'll bet not faster than 400). Either way, check your M/B's documentation to see what it will support. Forget about any non-Intel processors since they won't work in the Slot1 that the Pentium 2 uses. If you really want to save money, you can opt for slower PC66 or PC100RAM instead of PC133, since the memory bus speed of your PC is only 66MHz anyway. If you want to upgrade the M/B and processor later, look only as PC133, though. Breakdown for memory bus speeds: Memory Pent 2/3 Celeron PC66 233-333 All speeds PC100 350-600 ----- PC133 600-1130 ----- I'm not sure if a video card upgrade will do much for CM, but they are so cheap now it couldn't hurt much. One thing everyone always forgets is to clean up your software. If you have lots of little programs running in the background (hit Ctrl-Alt-Del to see what's running), they can have a big impact on performance. Closing unneeded programs will help CM run better. ------------------ Cats aren't clean, they're covered with cat spit. [This message has been edited by IntelWeenie (edited 11-03-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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