Computer Specs

jamo2oo9

Hi all,

Does anyone know where I can find the specs of my computer? I've used CPUID but it doesn't cover all of the bases. I'd like to know more about what PSU I have, the hard drive etc.

Another thing, I'm thinking of upgrading my current PC by changing the graphics to a newer, recent model but this might require a change of PSU and maybe the coolers. I don't know just yet until I find out what unit I have at the moment.

If I have a sufficient PSU rating, would two graphics create a better gameplay. I have a GT 240 and thinking of getting GTX 650 or 640 depending on the money. Would that get my fps higher and give me a smoother gameplay? The games I would be playing is mainly multiplayer games i.e. COD, Battlefield, Sims, World of Tanks, Flight Simming and GTA.

Again, another thing I want to ask, how cheap can 20" 1080p monitors can get? I would like to have dual screens for gaming and coding where I can have two of them side by side. Would be handy for multiplayer aswell. As far as I'm concerned, my current GPU wouldn't be able to run two screen so that's where a new GPU comes in.

Any feedback or concerns are appreciated,
Jamie

BloodBath

Check the brand of your pc. You will have to open the pc and check the side or back of it. Write down how many watt's it is and how that power is divided over the 3 voltages. 12v, 5v and 3.3v. There should be a sticker showing how many amps each rail is like this one.

You can see this 600w psu only provides a max of 420w to the 12v rail which is what powers the graphics and processor.



This is the cheapest good quality 1080p monitor you can get. (from hwvs at least)

I don't think you will be running dual screens for games though with a 640 or 650.

jamo2oo9

Okay, I've found that the PSU is 700W. Not sure what's the max as there is different ranges of red, orange, blue and yellow. Any idea what that means?

What do I need to run dual screens?

BloodBath

Can you take a picture of it? Does it not have a similar label with amp ratings for 12v. I'm guessing it will be ok but I have seen some really dodgy psu's with high watt ratings but awful 12v power.

Dual screens for using windows, programs and the net will run on almost anything. 2 for games requires the graphics card to do a lot more work and it's something that cheaper graphics cards will struggle with.

Amd have Nvidia pipped at price to performance at every single price range. A 7750 or a 7770 would be a better choice.

jamo2oo9

Okay, here's the photo of it. Not sure what to take off it..


Would that not be due to video cards? I will have a look at AMD and see what I can afford.

BloodBath

28A on the 12v is pretty pitiful. You might get away with it but I'd say it's risky business.

Serephucus

To give you an idea:

Item|Price
2 x BenQ GW2250E|€238.00
be quiet! Pure Power 350 Watt / BQT L7|€41.46
Special item: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 650 OC, 1GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI|€89.38
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€387.83

That's with two 22" 1080p VA monitors (4ms response time, but I'd read a couple of reviews to make sure they're ok for gaming. They'll still be far superior in terms of quality to any TN panel), a new PSU, and a GTX 650.

jamo2oo9

I already have a monitor, would like to add in another for a dual screen display. 260 for the whole lot. Is it necessary to get a newer PSU?

Serephucus

I would. I can't find anything other than basic information on that PSU, and that's never a good thing. No 80+ certification, only one 6-pin PCIE power.... Pull more than 300W from it, and I think it would kick the bucket.

jamo2oo9

Okay, I'll put that into my list. What about dual screen display. Bloodbath said I would need more than just two graphic cards, GT240 and soon to be GTX 650. Should I replace GT 240 with a better card? I could go for the modest GT550?

BloodBath

No I didn't. I meant 1 card would not have the power for gaming on 2 screens. Higher end cards would. It's fine with 1 card for doing desktop work. You can't mix Nvidia cards as far as I know.

This would be a good card to replace it with. What processor is in the machine?

jamo2oo9

As in CPU? It's Intel Pentium E5800, dual core factory clocked at 3.2GHz. Works well for flight simming which is extremely CPU intensive unlike modern day games only rely on GPUs

BloodBath

You should be fine with a 7700 without bottlenecking then.

jamo2oo9

For dual-screen monitors yeah? So I'll just have to replace my graphics card, PSU and add in another monitor and I should be fine. What about cooling. I wouldn't expect much change in temperature when using two monitors will I?

BloodBath

No it will be fine.