cpufreak101 wrote:07CobaltGirl wrote:Not sure what kind of gaming you do, but I wouldn't waste money on this setup. First step is to ditch the LGA775 motherboard and upgrade to newer socket. If it takes more time, then it takes more time, but with the setup you're talking about you won't be doing any realistic gaming. The LGA775 socket is severely outdated and does not support any modern CPUs. They're fine for normal desktop operation, but useless for modern gaming (released in 2004), and even if you get the best you can, what you're thinking about purchasing is already nearing the upper limits of the spectrum, which means you can't upgrade further. You really should upgrade the motherboard to an LGA1155 (still fairly old at 2011 release) or better (LGA2011-3 is most recent socket) so you'll have decent quad-core processors available. If you're seriously on a budget, get an LGA1150 motherboard and CPU combo from someplace like NewEgg.com. You can get decent for around $225 including decent HD2xxx-4xxx integrated processor (graphics will vary by processor chosen). From there you should be able to upgrade significantly as you save money, including a better processor and dedicated graphics card. Even 2011 boards aren't that expensive, so it really is an option even on a budget.
Unfortunately there is also a difficulty with Dell chassis, as they don't always fit normal formats (ATX, mATX, etc.), so upgrading the rest of it can be a challenge. You'll have to find out the dimensions of the current board and figure out which format you can upgrade with. The one undeniable fact is, you're going to have to upgrade this motherboard for gaming, unless you're playing Bullfrog's Hospital Tycoon or The Sims 1/2. The support for LGA775 processors just isn't there anymore to extend it's life for heavy duty use.
Some simple ideas (this is the $225 upgrade I was talking about):
ASUS P8B75-M/CSM LGA 1155 Intel B75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - $82paired with
Intel Core i3-3250 Ivy Bridge Dual-Core 3.5 GHz LGA 1155 55W BX80637I33250 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 - $145
thanks for the help, but yeaah, this dell chassis is not standard unfortunately, but as for the games i'm playing i wont be playing the latest of the latest, probably games from 2012-2013 plus GTA5, i'm not trying to get a hardcore gaming machine, i just need something better than what i already have because i don't have much more than $125 making upgrading what i already have the only viable option (and i only have this much cash from another system i sold) because as i said i know i have to leave it and build my own, my problem is the cash just isn't there right now, plus if i just get the processor i will have no money left over for the motherboard, GPU, or even a cd to even burn linux onto
Well, my point was, what you're looking at getting isn't any better than what I suggested. You might get a touch more gaming capability from the GTX650, but you are at the very upper limit. You won't see any long term gains, and you'll be out the $$$ which could have been used for a better upgrade. LGA775 is just.....dead. Good for desktop, terrible for upgrading due to lack of components available at the high end. It was never really a gaming based setup to begin with, as during the time it was released, the AMDs were killing Intel on that front. It is a budget platform from 11 years ago, which means it is nothing today.
The board I suggested will cost you ~ $100 more with the CPU, but will give you a much better outlook. The mATX format should fit in a Dell case, but you'll need to confirm this with actual board measurements. In addition to to getting a better platform with the LGA1155 board (2011/2011-3 is still the best choice), it has integrated graphics. I know a lot of folks dislike the integrated GPUs, but they do their job. The HD2500 is part of that board, so there would be no immediate need for a stand-alone GPU. Additionally, the HD2500 is really not that far behind the card you're getting in performance. At this point, for more modern games, released in the last 3 years or so, you're going to need a GTX x60 (x70 is more realistic) or better for anything in excess of casual web-browser gaming. The GTX 650 is just throwing money away (which you say you don't have anyway). The only thing it has going for it is 2GB of dedicated VRAM. Just save a little longer and get something useful. If it took you that long to save up for this upgrade, it's only going to take you longer to save up for the next one, which you'll find will be almost immediately necessary.
To answer the question of your post directly, no, it isn't good for gaming. Not even a little bit. It is well below average for any type of gaming after 2012, as it was a budget card then, when it was released. The card is just about dead even with the Intel HD4xxx integrated graphics, which is marginal for gaming. Find a similar price on the GTX650 Ti, and you might have a better solution, if you're insistent on not getting a new motherboard/CPU. Otherwise, just save your money until you have more. The world [probably] won't end while you save, and you'll me much better off in the long run.
Here's a side by side benchmark comparison of the GTX650 and the HD2500.
Compare nVidia GTX 650 to Intel HD2500