Upgrade

John Kelly of

Hi guys I am looking to upgrade my desktop and would appreciate advice

perhaps I can keep most of what I have and enhance it? or do I need to buy a new pc?

My pc often crashes while playing factorio and it won't run other games at all so I need to get it up to speed for all gaming options.

I have the following coming up in my about screen at the moment

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570 CPU @ 3.40GHz  4 cores

Installed Ram 8.00 GB (7.71 GB usable)

Windows 10 Pro version 22H2

64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Intel HD Graphics

do I need to know which motherboard I have?

K.O.Kiki

https://thesecmaster.com/how-to-find-out-what-crashed-your-pc-and-stop-them-before-it-crashes/

You need to know if the crashes are caused by hardware (e.g. overheating) or software (e.g. drivers) first.

minitrue

You didn't mention a graphics card at all only Intel HD Graphics and if you don't have one that would explain not being able to run lots of games and probably factorio being unusable as it's requirements say it wants Intel 5500 as a minimum and you are a generation short of that.

To get it up to speed "for all gaming options" you would be much better off going with a new PC at this point if you can afford it, the cpu in that one is 10 years old so I'd say it's really past the point where it's worth trying to upgrade it.

If you really can't afford that and are realistic in your expectations (essentially forget about recent AAA games) then you could spend €50-€150 on a second hand graphics card.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120078908#Comment_120078908

Didn't even think to check the minimum spec!

I suppose OP could throw in an old budget GPU like a Radeon HD 7850 (28eur, 1x6-pin power), GTX 660 (40eur, 1x6-pin), etc.

Or if it's an old Dell-type office PC, try to fit a GTX 750 Ti (55 eur) which requires no additional power connector.

Jon Doe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058278590/upgrade

It's best to know the board model to be sure you have a PCIe16x connector.

It's best to know the computer case size to be sure you have the physical space to house the graphics card.

How much money are you willing to spend? Do you know how to build a computer from scratch? Would the graphics card be just the first component you're going to buy or do you want to just upgrade your graphics? How old is your windows installation? Sometime reinstalling windows fixes a lot of problems... Also, dust: when did you last cleaned you computer? If it's too dusty inside you may end up having all kinds of problems... Here something to get you started: https://medium.com/tikh-tokh/how-to-vacuum-the-inside-of-your-desktop-pc-without-blowing-it-up-e96289e8be42

(just be sure to use the vaccum cleaner's hose: keep electric engines away from the computer)

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058278590/upgrade

Download CPU-z and go to motherboard section and it will tell you what board you have.

Homelander

To just play Factario you can throw in a 2nd hand GPU for €30-50 that doesn't need additional power that would do the job perfectly.

The real issue is that if the PC is crashing, there might be something else at play, like overheating, faulty stick of RAM, etc.

Also, throwing in a new cheap graphics cards will allow you play a lot of other games, but there are limits what you can do with a PC that old.

RTS games, E-Sports games (Valorant, Overwatch 2, even Apex Legends), sports games (Fifa, etc), most sim games, older games, etc would all be fine on an i5-3570, once you have an OK graphics card.

Stuff like the latest Call of Duty or Battlefield, Cyberpunk, Assassins Creed, etc wouldn't and would need a whole new PC.

John Kelly of

thanks a lot guys I found out my motherboard is AS Rock ZH77 Pro3

I tried this game Satisfactory but it won't work on my pc just kept freezing

here are the system requirements I think I have them all except the graphics card

could the required graphics card work on my motherboard?

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system.
• OS: Windows 10 or later (64-Bit)
• Processor: i5-3570 3.4 GHz 4 Core.
• Memory: 8 GB RAM.
• Graphics: Dedicated graphics card, GTX 770 2GB.
• Storage: 15 GB available space.
• Additional Notes: Internet connection required for multiplayer.

wotzgoingon

Have a look here:

https://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/computers/desktop-hardware/graphics-cards/499/price_50-100/

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120090843#Comment_120090843

Any PCI-Express graphics card works as long as you can supply it with power (PSU).

Jon Doe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120090843#Comment_120090843

could the required graphics card work on my motherboard?

Yes, that board has a PCIe x16 slot. Now you need to figure out if your computer box has enough space. What do you have? A mid tower computer or something smaller? Also, you need to figure out the wattage on your PSU. Check the back of the computer and try to find any reference to Watts, next to the AC mains plug.

John Kelly of

Looks like loads of space in there

It has a spare cable marked pci express coming from the power supply

John Kelly of

Is the green pcb in there the Intel graphics card?

Actually I think its a wifi card

John Kelly of

No sign of Intel graphics card so why does the pc say I have that? If I put a new graphics card in will I have to disable the Intel graphics some how?

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120098892#Comment_120098892

The Intel graphics is contained inside the CPU itself, it's not a separate card.

Your PSU looks decent enough. A Radeon HD 7850 2GB would power through Factori no issue; but it is 11 years old. Maybe consider a RX 470 4GB which is a bit newer (2016) and faster than the GTX 770 that used to be in there.

Also, get a can of air duster & clean the insides! You can get them in Dealz usually.

minitrue

I was going to say the same as K.O. Kiki about the 470 4GB and giving it a clean ;)

You could also get another 2*4GB of ram from CEX for €4 while you are at it. That's the sort of money I could live with putting into that machine.

John Kelly of

Fantastic thanks lads

John Kelly of

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099239#Comment_120099239

Is this what you mean?

4 GB PC17000 DDR4 2133MHz 288 Pin Memory

2 of those?

John Kelly of

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099168#Comment_120099168

In a video I watched on you tube it showed a guy putting in a graphics card and he said to connect the monitor to the graphics card video out port instead of the motherboard.

Will I need to do that and will

My monitor is connected to the pc via hdmi cable

minitrue

No, it's DDR3 for your board. So https://ie.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=smem9qai is what I'd probably go with (1600Mhz, the fastest your board will like) but depending what speed ram is already in there it might make no difference to just get https://ie.webuy.com/product-detail?id=smem9qah (1333MHz) or even https://ie.webuy.com/product-detail?id=smem4qaab (1066MHz) if it makes it easier for you to get them. And tbh at that price if you have 1066MHz (lol or even 1333MHz) in there now just getting 4 sticks of 1600MHz for €8 is certainly an option.

Yes, if you put in a graphics card you will want to connect your monitor to the graphics card. Any of the graphics cards mentioned will have a hdmi port (or at least I don't think there's any bizarre cards out there which wouldn't).

Your second sentence got cut off or had a couple of extra words: "Will I need to do that and will"

John Kelly of

thanks again

Homelander

I would be wary of buying RAM from CEX unless you have a local branch you can buy from/return something to that you bought online. They don't test RAM, the amount of wrongly labelled/faulty RAM I've gotten from them is pretty high.

Also, you already have 8GB, which is plenty for Factario. I would just get the new graphics card first and work from there.

This is probably the best value card they have at the moment. But it may be overkill for your needs, it's certainly total overkill for Factario. But it would allow you to play much more modern games than Factario well enough, in fact it's capable of running games the i5-3570 is not.

https://ie.webuy.com/product-detail?id=sgraradrx4704ga&categoryName=graphics-cards-pci-e&superCatName=computing&title=amd-radeon-rx-470-4gb&referredFrom=category&queryID=5957829612850dbdac6d814ec45d5dfb&position=24

If you just want to do it as cheap as possible rather than spend €85, this will do perfectly fine for €30 as well. I'd personally learn towards this one if it's really just Factario and similar games you are playing.

https://ie.webuy.com/product-detail?id=sgraati78502gb&categoryName=graphics-cards-pci-e&superCatName=computing&title=ati-radeon-pitcairn-hd-7850-2gb&referredFrom=category&queryID=5957829612850dbdac6d814ec45d5dfb&position=9

Also keep in mind you said initially that sometimes the PC freezes or crashes. This might indicate a problem with the PC - though it could just be bad graphics drivers not playing well with Factario.

John Kelly of

👍Thanks looks grand, 85 won't break the bank

Jon Doe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099363#Comment_120099363

Yes. Be sure that your new graphics card has an hdmi port. Make sure you know how to distinguish hdmi from dp: https://uk.pcmag.com/how-to/117669/hdmi-vs-displayport-which-should-i-use-for-my-pc-monitor

Jon Doe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120098779#Comment_120098779

You'll have to excuse me but from this pic it seems you have two memory modules... am I seeing things? :?

John Kelly of

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106745#Comment_120106745

not sure what you mean about the memory cards?

I have ordered the AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB graphics card and from pictures I looked at online and descriptions I am pretty sure it has a hdmi port

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107722#Comment_120107722

It does have a HDMI socket.

JoyPad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106745#Comment_120106745

He does indeed have two RAM modules, 2x4GB. What @minitrue suggested above was to add another 2x4GB to get to 16GB total. He also mentioned that there could be timing mismatch between the existing set and the new set, so a better suggestion was to buy 4x4GB 1600MHz, which would be the best he can use on this mobo.

However, @Homelander pointed out that CEx are not the best place to buy RAM from, as they don't test the RAM they sell.

So, where's the confusion?

wotzgoingon

Honestly his 8GB's is plenty. Sure his GPU has 4GB's. He is not running cutting edge technology so 8 is fine.

minitrue

If I was talking about the €12/stick CEX want for 8GB sticks (let alone probably €45+ for 2*8GB for new sticks and worse value for 4GB sticks) I'd certainly understand thinking twice about it and worrying about getting bad ram from CEX. At €2/stick I wouldn't be sweating about the risk of bad CEX ram, especially if I could pick them up from somewhere (hence I'd said 1066 or 1333 if it was easier and getting 4x4 should make the worst cases nothing bad).

To quote myself "That's the sort of money I could live with putting into that machine."

John Kelly of

I got the amd graphics RX 470card, installed it then downloaded the driver

it appears in the device manager with an error symbol beside it and when I click on properties I get the following message

Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)

tried googling it and getting nowhere as it gives a few different reasons none of which lead anywhere

does anyone know what it might be?

minitrue

Did you connect up the power to the card? Have you rebooted since installing the driver?

Assuming you did both it might be a hardware problem :-/ Or it might have a modified bios on the card for mining which the normal driver doesn't like, you could try and flash it or you could just return it :(

If you want to try out the bios route you could see if the card appears here to download the bios: https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/?architecture=AMD&manufacturer=&model=RX+470&version=&interface=&memType=&memSize=4096&since=

And to flash it you can use the tool they have there on the same site: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/ati-atiflash/

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120117463#Comment_120117463

First step is to clean install the drivers.

• Download DDU here: https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html
• Use the default options.
• For Select device type, select GPU / AMD.
• Do a "Clean and shutdown". This will remove all old drivers (Intel, Nvidia, AMD).
• When it's finished and the PC is off, double-check that the GPU is seated properly in the PCI Express slot (top, long one) - it should click.
• Double-check that the PCI Express power (red connector) is connected properly.
• Reboot and install the AMD drivers.

Jon Doe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120117463#Comment_120117463

Which driver did you download? Was it

https://drivers.amd.com/drivers/whql-amd-software-adrenalin-edition-22.11.2-win10-win11-dec8.exe

?

John Kelly of

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120118380#Comment_120118380

yes

John Kelly of

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120118241#Comment_120118241

Hi I have the power connected it actually has an 8 pin socket and I plugged in the 8 pin power supply plug , the graphics card is running as all the lights are on and the fans are going. The monitor is connected to the graphics card hdmi port and is working although the resolution has changed. Also the graphics card is plugged onto the board fully, I have checked.

I downloaded that uninstaller but when I click run nothing happens it just says extracting to a file but that file address doesn't seem to exist on my pc.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120117638#Comment_120117638

thanks for your help, if it was you it would probably be easy to get it going but I am wary of downloading strange stuff onto my pc that I don't understand so I think this thing is going back. Thought it would just work, didn't realise there was so much involved. i wrongly assumed the crowd selling it would have checked it was working ok without the need for flashing etc.

Thanks for everything anyway guys.

Homelander

CEX do test graphics cards as they work on a universal platform.

The reason they don't test RAM and CPU's etc is that they'd need multiple types of boards/socket types which isn't that feasible. It's also the reason why stuff gets incorrectly labelled very often in there, eg EEC Ram sold as normal Ram, etc.

Graphics cards though can be tested on a single PC setup for that purpose, they run them through Furmark or 3DMark or something of that kind.

They're still generally fairly clueless though. Had a guy in CEX tell me a card I traded in "failed due to overheating" because it reached 80c....a perfectly normal operating temp for tons of cards.

Anyway, they should have tested that RX470 and found it to be working OK, but might have slipped through the cracks somehow.

John Kelly of

thanks Homelander maybe there is something else going on so, perhaps with my pc.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120118864#Comment_120118864

The DDU file comes in a 7zip self-extracting archive.

When you click it, it should ask "Extract to:" Click Extract and it should create a new folder called "DDU v18.0.5.9". That's where the actual "Display Driver Uninstaller" tool resides.

The fact you're getting a signal is good! I suspect it's simply a driver conflict from the fact your machine used to have a GTX 770 years ago & you were running with Intel drivers for ages.

shootermacg

I had the same issue with a gtx670, luckily I had a gtx970 which worked just fine.