jinro88

I'm starting to consider Windows 7 64-bit now; I can probably get a student discount on it. I haven't looked into AMD's newer stuff as I'm honestly not sure what models are newer. As for the motherboard, It looks like I'm definitely going to need a new one but I'm worried about compatibility issues. I've tried upgrading a PC once before, and although my CPU and GFX slots matched correctly with the hardware I still had compatibility issues. I expect an AM3 socket motherboard to work with an AM3 socket processor but I guess it goes deeper than that.

Well, I messed around with the calculator (didn't put everything in) and it looks like I'll be needing something like 400W :joystick: Will an AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core 3.4GHz and a GTX 550 get the job done? Those appear to be slightly above what's listed in the recommended requirements for the game.

Well crap. I was hoping I could at least keep the PSU at the least. What's the best wattage for a PSU these days? I'm trying to keep it under $500 total, which appears doable after looking at mobos, CPUs and GFX cards. Haven't checked out PSUs and RAM yet though. I was looking at the AMD Phenom II quad-core--if that won't work with DCS A-10 I have no clue what will. As far as GFX, what's a good card around the $150-$200 range? I had my eye on one Nvidia card but promptly forgot which one it was.

Hey guys, I'm looking to upgrade my old computer so that I can play DCS A-10. I tried playing it as is, but it wasn't loading past the splash screen even after the 3GB fix (I'm on XP 32-bit), so apparently I'm going to need upgrades to run the game, and I'm looking for some input. I'm looking to do this as cheaply and pain-free as possible. Computer: Dell Dimension C521 OS: Windows XP 32-bit CPU: AMD 64 X2 Dual Core 4000+ 2.1GHz RAM: 2GB Graphis: Integrated Nvidia 6150LE 512mb Ideally, I want to upgrade just the RAM and graphics card, but I'm open to upgrading the processor as well. I do not, however, want to upgrade the motherboard, OS, or power supply. I might as well buy a new computer if I have to do that. My main concern with RAM is that I have 4 slots for RAM, one of which is bad, so I only have 3 usable slots. What's the best, cheapest 1GB stick of RAM so I can get 3GB? As for the graphics, I'm wondering what will be best; I always thought the higher the MB the better, but apparently that's not the case. Supposedly the motherboard in the C521 favors Nvidia, but I don't know which card will be compatible with my processor/motherboard. If I do have to upgrade the processor as well, what would be compatible with my motherboard and power supply (280W)? Thanks.