Upgrading M8000N HP for Battlefield 3

Hi everyone, after trying to upgrade my laptop through the egpu method, i figured it would be cheaper and faster to upgrade this stock HP m8000n PC that I have laying around. Can anyone recommend me a good graphics card and anything else I would need in order to play battlefield 3 at high settings on 720p or maybe even 1080p on this pc?

I might also need a new cpu and ram but hopefully you guys can enlighten me on the matter!!!

 

The m8000n is a desktop and it would very easy if you search for a desktop GPU like the Radeon 5770 or the Radeon 6770 slabbed in the PCI-e x16 slot of the motherboard.

Then again, the m8000n does have an outdated CPU that might not be strong enough to run the CPU end of things, but at 720p on Medium is possible.

 

Thanks for the reply Star Forge. Would I need a new psu as well to power the graphics card? Im new to upgrading PC's so I got lots of questions!!! What cpu would be compatible with this Desktop that would also be good for games?

 

If you current PSU is around 450W, then you are fine. However if it is not, then you should get something between 450W-600W (and they aren't expensive either, but you should a reliable one like from Corsair, Antec, Cooler Master, Thermaltake).

A friend of mine has the 6770 and with his AMD Phenom II X6 and 8 GB DDR3 can run it high at 1080p. On yours though, you can probably manage Medium on 720p.

 

Can I duplicate that same setup on my pc or would my mobo not support it?

 

No your motherboard is too old of DDR3 RAM or Phenom II. However you can try to boost your DDR2 RAM to 4 GB if you can but the Athlon X2 might be your only stable choice for the board.

 

Well I guess my only choice is to upgrade to a new mobo and start from scratch. If I were to choose this route would I be able to use anything from the m8000n and attach it to the new mobo??? Also, what mobo would you recommend.

 

The m8000n is old. I suggest just build a desktop from scratch. A good BF3 budget build can be achieved for around $600-800 with some DIY.

 

The only things I wanna keep are a fan or two, the cd/dvd drives, the case, the hard drive cuz it has 500gb, the ethernet card and finally the media card reader slots. Can I transfer all or any of these components to a new mobo or would they only be supported on an HP motherboard. This would definitely save me a little cash when building my new pc. And finally a recommendation on a good, cheap mobo. Thank you for all your help!!!

 

The fans and case you can keep, but you might need to dremel out some bits off the case to fit an aftermarket motherboard. The ethernet card and the media card reader slots might work a new motherboard with a PCI connector on it and the HDD and Optical Drive will be transferable.

Cheap Motherboards depends on what CPU you are looking for: AMD or Intel?

 

I wanna get a good quad core cpu at no more than 150. If ur on a budget I hear AMD is the way to go. What would you recommend?
Also, r my usb ports controlled directly from the motherboard or do I need another component to add/enable them when I get a new mobo?

 

Then try to get a AM3+ motherboard from Gigabyte or ASUS. Also, the USB Ports should have connector pins that plug into the new motherboard easily.

 

One last question, will these boards support both amd and nvidia graphics cards?? Thank you Star Forge for all your help!!!

 

Yes they will and if you get one with 2x PCI-e x16, they will support natively either nVidia SLI or ATI CrossFireX.

 

You have been so much help, thanks again!!!! Ill start a new thread when I assemble my pc to see how it stacks up!

 

Sure no problem! However if you release a desktop PC thread on NBR, it might get locked you might get redirected to DTR. However, you won't be disappointed if you went with a custom gaming desktop at all.

 

GPU choices: Nvidia GTX 4xx at or above 460, or 5xx at or above 560. AMD 5xxx at or above 5850, or 6xxx at or above 6850.

AMD CPU choices: any phenom II x4 910 or higher. Any phenom II x6.

Intel CPU choices: any core i3 2100/T or higher. any core i5 or higher.

Intel has good choices, but if you have a smallish processor budget ($100-$150, which is more than reasonable) then intel's choices are a little less straightforward.

Those graphics cards start about $150, and will give the most expensive laptop graphics cards in existence a run for their money.

 

The 6770 can handle BF3 on high very well on 1080p. I have seen it first hand. However, you might need to compensate with a Phenom II X6 though...

 

I presume that is based on the beta. I'm sure there are a variety of graphics cards that can run it at 1080p, but these will guarantee at least medium-high settings, 1080p, AND high frame rate. It's just my personal recommendation.

I don't think the 6770 can do 45+ frames on all high at 1080p. The beta doesn't count, because many of the graphics options were disabled (even though you could change them in the menu).

 

This was not at default. We had them altered to all high manually on 1080p. It was fluid at around 35-40 FPS.

 

What does "this was not at default" mean?

35 fps is too low *for me* for a multiplayer shooting game. If the game was 40 fps *exactly* with no variability regardless of how much is going on, I might be able to tolerate it. But running around at 35-40 fps on metro or caspian isn't going to work *for me*, because I don't want to deal with the performance consequences of being at 35 frames, then suddenly having multiple explosions and a firefight happening all at once. Performance is affected by these types of things, and that is the exact moment when it would be really nice to have at least 45 frames per second, or really a rock solid 60, so you can aim very smoothly.

So, for *my* recommendation, I'm gonna stick with a 6850 as the budget limit for AMD's 6000 series. For reference, a 6770 currently can be had for $100. A 6850 costs $150 bucks. It's significantly more expensive, but it's also significantly more powerful. $150 is a reasonable price for a GPU imo. That extra power of the 6850 also also gives you more room to trade image quality for even more performance. If you'd like be at 1080p and 60 frames per second, it will be easy and you won't have to sacrifice much in terms of image quality. I don't know if that's realistic on a 6770.

Meanwhile, a high end quad core phenom II comes in at about $120. Pretty awesome.

 

I won't get a 6850 until Southern Islands show up. I think it is at one of these time periods where I would wait till I invest good money in a HD 7000 Series. $150 vs. $100 is a big difference these days, and I rather save that extra $50 for next-gen.

Also, by criticizing the 6770, you are also criticizing most laptop gamers (5870M, 6970M).

I will avoid Bulldozer though. Phenom II is still pretty good for the money.

 

I'm not criticizing the 6770. It is what it is. I'm just being realistic. I'm also not concerned if all laptop owners with 5870's and 6970's have equal performance to a desktop 6770. Again, that is what it is. Entirely out of my hands and not my issue. I'm pretty sure that anyone who owns one of those parts understands that they accepted compromises to cost, performance, and upgradability - for portability. That's perfectly fine, and I'm not criticizing that choice, but I would obviously lay out a different set of expectations if I were building a desktop. A $300 budget for a powerful quad core CPU + a powerful graphics card that is as fast as the most powerful laptop graphics cards, AND 4 GB of system memory is pretty awesome.

If you're intending to upgrade in 3-4 months or so when the 7000 series comes out, then I would definitely get the 6850. The net cost difference if you intend to resell these parts will be $0, or maybe even slightly cheaper for the 6850. Of course, I wouldn't personally go that route. Just keep it as long as it works well.

Again, it's not that a 6770 won't work. And, omitting it from my recommendation for desktop purchases made today does not make me critical of it. It doesn't make me critical of an entire group of people who bought something completely different.

And again, what did you mean by "not at default"??

 

We manually overrode the settings and set everything to high with no AA.

 

What method did you use to manually override the settings? A lot of the graphics options were not available in the beta because they were not included in the build. If you remember, it was a relatively small download. High resolution textures and some other features simply did not exist in the build. There was no manual override for things that weren't included in the program, even though a lot of the options in the menu to change those settings were still active.

The good news is that you can expect performance to go up with the final release and with updates in the future, as well as with driver updates.

 

Used latest beta drivers and actually overrode the configuration .ini file that was located in the install directory.

 

Yeah. Many of those settings had no effect in the beta. In the retail release, they will. Apparently, many of the effects that did have some change between low and high were not final. There were very few differences between low and high settings in the beta, and they already said that didn't represent the quality of the final release.

The beta was for server load testing, hype, feedback, and bug reports, but not really about performance testing. They are more than capable of doing that themselves.

 

I will admit, it does look good though and I think pushing it even higher will only give only so much more.

They already nailed everything in the GPU department and if that is not high, then I am already satisfied.

That said I stand with the 6770 as a good temporary solution. I don't see myself wanting to build a rig of any sorts until Kepler/Southern Islands and Ivy Bridge.

 

I'm not saying sell your 6770 for a 6850. That would be stupid. If I were you I would definitely wait until at least 7000 series graphics comes out. I would probably wait for 8000 series. If I didn't have a GPU (I have one), I would get a 6850. It's that simple.

I'll also wait until the 7k series to even consider upgrading myself, and I'll probably hold out until the 8000 series.

 

Thanks for the advice master chef. Im thinking about this setup.


Motherboard: ASRock M3A770DE AM3

CPU: AMD - Black Edition Deneb Phenom™ II X4 Processor 965 3.4gz

GPU: An HD 6870, not sure which one they come in different varieties apparantly?!

Im not sure what kind of PSU I should get, also could either the cpu or gpu be overclocked???

 

you might want to rethink your stratagy because like it was said the amd 7xxx and intel ivy bridge are on the way. that will make your current aquisition very expensive considering that in the next couple months the price will drop a LOT. we are in a turning point and this is the worst time to upgrade.
my advice, if you really want and can't really play bf3 even at low settings then buy the cheapest stuff you can buy to make it work. if you can play, don't upgrade now. also if you are going to buy, make sure your motherboard is compatible with the next generation.

 

I've got very different advice. If you plan on waiting to buy because something better is coming in the next several months or you expect prices to drop after several months, you're going to have a lot of waiting ahead of you. There is literally new tech coming out constantly.

My advice is that when you decide you want to play BF3, get the parts. BF3 comes out on monday night, so if that's about when you want to be able to run the game, there's no point worrying about tech that doesn't exist for months. Don't worry about ivy bridge or the processor upgrade capability of your motherboard. Your processor's usefulness is going to outlive your motherboard's ability to maintain compatibility with new processors no matter what you pick. When you upgrade, you'll need to get both parts together.

 

Wow I had no Idea, I have a 9800mgts graphics card and x9100 dual core cpu that I can overclock to 3.5 with 4g of ram on my p7805u. Is that enough to play BF3 on at least medium settings at 720p with a consistant 60fps.

If it is then it would be smart for me to wait like you said, if not, I might just say screw it and upgrade.


EDIT: I just saw your reply masterchef, if I do take the upgrade route would the setup I listed be compatible with itself?
Also Im still unsure of what PSU I should get for it.

 

Intel to Sell Ivy Bridge Late in Q4 2011
CEO Paul Otellini confirmed that Ivy Bridge 22 nm processor volume production has already begun
Intel to Sell Ivy Bridge Late in Q4 2011
AMD Radeon HD 7000 GPUs listed in leaked driver
AMD is apparently planning to introduce the first products using 28-nanometer graphics chips are still in December 2011
Google Translate
AMD Radeon HD 7000 GPUs listed in leaked driver by VR-Zone.com

the price of old generation hardware will drop in the next day the new hardware is released. it's not needed to wait many months.
it's not a question of always waiting. it's not like the new 8xxx gpu's are going to be sold on January. or that intel is going to replace ivy bridge with the next generation cpu's just 2months from their release. it takes time. it's called product cycle.

if gamblor420 buys tomorrow 23 october, by 8december it will have old generation hardware that is worth pennys in value and poor in performance. if he buys it on 9 december by december 2012 he still has a current generation hardware.
Also he could buy old generation hardware by 9 december at a fraction of the price it costs now.

 

If you're going to buy BF3 either way, I think it would be worth it to wait and see how it runs on your setup. You might be surprised. Maybe low settings will work very and look very good and you could just save your money.

 

It's not like the performance of previous gen hardware goes down at all when the next gen comes out. The price changes also aren't as extreme as you suggest. In fact, the performance improvements aren't as extreme as you suggest.

AMD's 5850 still costs about $160. The 6800 and 6900 series have been out for a long time. Phenom II has already been replaced by bulldozer, and prices haven't changed much at all. Ivy bridge is just a die shrink of sandy bridge. There's not going to be any massive changes, just faster sandy bridge processors. Anyway, those are all intel only and aren't even near the price category we're looking at.

Plus, if everything goes perfectly and these parts come out in December and then January with no delays, and we adjust our budget by literally double to be able to afford them, then what? There will already be news of whatever is coming next 4 or 5 months later. Do we wait again? Prices will drop to pennies on the parts from December/January! This is just not a realistic way of thinking. Prices for cheap and cost effective tech today might drop 5-10%. Maybe you could save $20 by waiting 2 months. On high end tech, the prices will drop more. A component that costs $300 more than anything else just because it's the fastest thing available isn't going to be able to maintain that premium when new tech comes out. In the price/performance focused market, drastic, sudden changes in cost just aren't that likely. You'll see a pretty regular and normal devaluation. It's sort of like getting a car. Brand new $35,000 cars depreciate very quickly, especially when the new model comes out. $15,000 cars that already weren't the latest version don't depreciate nearly as quickly. It really doesn't matter if the new version comes out. The 6850 has already been replaced by the 6900 series. The 5800 series has both in front of it. The phenom II has already been replaced by bulldozer, the price hasn't moved more than a few dollars.

 

You guys have been so much help, learned a lot of stuff in this thread!!!
It wouldnt kill me to wait a month or two and see if prices drop.

Thanks again for all your guys help


EDIT: Dang masterchef every time i post something, u reply with a contradictory statement!!!

If prices arent gonna drop that dramatically then I really do wanna upgrade!!! what wattage psu would u recommend for this setup?

 

I'm just trying to be pragmatic. BF3 comes out on Monday night. I presume you already bought the game, and your intent is to be able to play it. I would wait until you see how it runs on whatever you have now, because if you're happy with that, you could avoid spending any money.

If it doesn't run well enough, there's no point waiting for months expecting the entire market to turn on it's head because intel is releasing a die-shrink (slightly more power efficient version of the exact same technology). It just doesn't work that way. If you start waiting for technology to exist, you'll start to realize there's never a good time to buy anything, because refreshed technology is literally coming out constantly. It's not just one company. AMD literally JUST came out with bulldozer. In maybe 2 months Intel will have Ivy bridge. Maybe 3 months for AMD's 6000 series. How long till Nvidia's 600 series? 4 months? Then it's going to be March of 2011. It'll probably only be 2 months from that point before AMD releases a refreshed version of bulldozer. Rinse, wash, repeat.

The real kicker is that we're supposed to wait for Ivy Bridge to knock all the prices down to pennies, but they're probably just going to release the high end parts first. How is that going to effect us when we are looking at getting a processor for just over $100?

It's not like Dell's prices all drop to the floor when apple releases a new notebook computer.

 

I see what you mean masterchef, even if my laptop can play bf3 at good settings im still itchin to upgrade to a pc. There are a lot of wii games that I wanna play using an emulator and my current laptop cant run them as well as I want. Im going to start purchasing the parts later tonight online, im still unsure of what wattage I should get for the PSU. Im thinking one at 600W, what do you guys think.

 

600W will be fine, make sure you get one with good reviews from a decent company. You'll want to read reveiws. They'll give you a sense of what is a specific good choice. They might also give you some other insight into PSU buying. newegg.com is good for reviews, especially.

If you want to do emulation, make sure you get a decent processor. The 965 is actually what I have. (I spent $140 on it maybe 8 months ago. Prices go down, but not THAT fast). 965 should work fine, but if your serious about emulation, you might even want something faster. I'm not sure exactly, I just know emulation is very demanding. You'll have to do some research on Google. 965 may be just fine.

 

Yeah, that 965 is still 140.00 on bestbuy. Can that processor be overclocked?

 

anything can be overclocked.

 

Ok, Im ordering the parts as we speak, any website you might recommend to get the GPU at a good price? Im on newegg and found the hd 6870 for 169.99.
Do u think I could get it cheaper anywhere else?

 

Look around Tigerdirect and Amazon. They sometimes sell competitively lower than NewEgg.

So since I was out for a while, I am presuming you are going for the 965 X4 BE? Also 650W should be sufficient for your needs in a PSU. Make sure you buy from a reputable company like Antec, Corsair or even Cooler Master. A shoddy PSU could spell disaster if failing.

 

Yes I am Star Forge, u think this setup will let me play all or most games out at 1080p maxed out?

 

repeating for importance.

 

Yes.

10char.

 

Awesome, do u think i will need icd7 or arctic silver for the gpu or cpu?

 

The GPU will not needed since desktop GPU's come with their own pre-installed HSF. The only reason you will need to repaste the GPU is if you are going to opt for an aftermarket GPU HSF to replace the one on the stock GPU. Furthermore, some companies like MSI and ASUS does offer GPU's with their own pre-installed aftermarket HSF systems.

With that said, You will need some ICD7 or AS5 for the CPU though.

 

you don't need any compound for the GPU, the graphics processor is already seated onto a board, you just plug the GPU into the motherboard.

The cpu does need thermal compound, but if you buy the retail processor, it does come with preapplied thermal compound.

Also be warned, the 965's default fan/heatsink is pretty loud and operates at a high RPM. You might want to look into a larger, quieter aftermarket fan/heatsink if you end up with that processor. I had to take my computer apart completely to get access to the reverse side of the motherboard, to mount the bracket for the aftermarket fan/heatsink, and reapply the thermal compound on the CPU. It's not that difficult but it was a slight PITA and if I had known how loud the thing was in advance, I would have been able to avoid the hassle.

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X6 1035T Thuban 2.6GHz 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT35TWFK6DGR - Processors - Desktops