Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

[Fuzzplug Jones]

I don't have a lot of money to shell out on computer hardware, especially when a $50 game like BF2 comes with a hidden $500 computer upgrade bill. But I'm starting to get to the limits of my current system and I wonder if some experts here can shed some light.

My current system is an HP Pavillion zv6000 notebook upgraded with 2GB of RAM, and a 7200rpm hard drive. The machine comes with an ATI Mobility Radeon Xpress 200 Series with 128MB of dedicated RAM and an option in the BIOS to dedicate an extra 128MB from system RAM to the video card, which I have enabled (it doesn't seem to make a difference BTW). The CPU is an AMD Athlon64 3200+, but I am running 32-bit Windows XP because of the lack of driver support through HP for XP64.

Before you say it, BF2 is the only game I really play and this isn't a gaming rig, this is the most computer I could buy for what I do day to day. It's more than adequate for everything else.

The computer was purchased new a few months *after* BF2 was released, yet I can't raise my graphics settings past "Low." Even on Low, in intense firefights, 64-man servers, and graphics-intensive parts like getting shot at by the gun of a Tunguska, for example, the framerate drops like a rock and I'm basically a sitting duck for the first noob with a PKM.

I have an older desktop computer that I just use to offload work onto (number crunching etc). It's got an Athlon XP 2000+ (1.67GHz core), 512MB RAM, and an nVidia GeForceFX 5700. I don't think I have the extra cash lying around to upgrade *both* the processor and the RAM, so I'm wondering, which is more important to BF2, and does it even matter with a card as old as the FX5700? I don't want to dump $400+ for a new mobo and an Athlon64 and (presumably) a different kind of memory just to find out the 5700 doesn't do any better than my Radeon. And I certainly don't want to put in all that money if it doesn't help me counter these *******es who can dance around my tank sticking c4 to everything and I barely have enough horsepower to aim the cannon at them and get a shot off.

Please no flames, I'm a longtime lurker, not a big forum user, I'm not such a big gamer that I can justify an Alienware system, I just cringe thinking we went to the moon on 1960s technology and I can barely play BF2 on a machine that's less than a year old. P.S. Both machines are really clean, I'm not one of these soccer-moms riddled with spyware and Comet Cursor and that freakin monkey that dances on your desktop. I know you guys are in the know so I come to you out of respect for your knowledge.

[pYura]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

I think you should buy a new graphic card. With a 7600GT I think you should be able to play with medium graphics and good framerate.

ps.: turn off dinamics light/shadows, but turn on effects to medium, if you want to fly even high. turn off AA...

[troybob]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

it will run it on low just fine.

one of my backups has the same graphics cards.

Install the demo and if it works ok - buy a second copy of the game. I'm on my 3rd copy :)

[Sike]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

it will run it on low just fine.

one of my backups has the same graphics cards.

Install the demo and if it works ok - buy a second copy of the game. I'm on my 3rd copy :)

why buy another copy uve just confused me?

[imported_Mrt1989]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

Well about your laptop my friend had a similar and he couldnt play very well. All on low and still had lag. But for your othere comp- i suggsest you to buy 1.5 gb ram. Your card is fine to run low/med with lightening off.

[foxz88]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

I think your upgrade options are: upgrade everything or nothing. Your CPU is to slow and you don't have enought ram to handle a better video card. Keep your money and upgrade your old computer later...

[jdrou]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

I think your upgrade options are: upgrade everything or nothing. Your CPU is to slow and you don't have enought ram to handle a better video card. Keep your money and upgrade your old computer later...

I usually favor gradual upgrading but I'll have to agree here: everything in that desktop system is bare minimum. One of the reasons you shouldn't upgrade is that by the time you upgrade your CPU+RAM+vid you might as well get a new motherboard so that you can use the latest technologies (e.g. PCIe instead of AGP, the newest Athlon64 or dual-core, either dual-channel or DDR2 RAM). If you buy any upgrade now you probably won't be able to move it to a newer motherboard later.

It's too bad the notebook has such bad video; if you could upgrade that it would be worth it.

New mb+CPU+RAM+video <$400 at mwave.com:
PNY VERTO GEFORCE 6600 PCI-EXPRESS 256MB DDR DVI/VGA/SVIDEO/HDTV (#VCG66256XPB) (Retail)
$70.86 $70.86
SKU: 3836463

AMD ATHLON 64 3200+ (ADA3200BPBOX) RETAIL BOXED 64-BIT W/512KB CACHE 90NM (VENICE) BUNDLE W/=ASUS A8N-SLI DLX= CORSAIR TWINX1024-3200C2PT=(512MBX2)= ASSEMBLE/TEST BUNDLE
$311.77 $311.77
SKU: MB-BA21441 -BA20954 -BA22683 -TEST

Not fantastic but a good basis to build on and much faster than your current system. It won't take DDR2 RAM but it will take dual-core CPUs and the latest video cards when you're ready to spend more. Might be able to use your old RAM too. I built a desktop from similar parts a few months ago.

[ScarletKnite]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

I purchased my laptop about this time last year, 1.8GHz Pentium M, 2GB RAM, Geforce 6800 Go (I played the BF2 demo at that time and I wanted to play the latest games, so I opted to get the higher end video card). I get around 40-60+ FPS with the everything set to high. I am no hardware enthusiast, however I think it is apparent that your video card is the problem. I know that some Dell laptops video cards can be upgraded, however I am not sure about HP, I'd post/search at www.notebookforums.com to see if it's possible.

[Fuzzplug Jones]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

Thanks for the insight. I do have a spare Prescott-core P4 with a (crappy) mobo and (even crappier) case, but I don't use P4s except in the wintertime to cut down on heating costs. Maybe when winter hits (up here it's about October to May) I'll buy a new P4 mobo and case and just use that. I did play BF2 on that for one day, but the mobo has a 1gb ram limit and the 1gb ram stick in it crapped out the next day. All these parts, and they don't fit together!

I think if EA wanted to make the stats fair, they would weight your rank based on the computer on which you play. Sure, I only have 12-point-something percent accuracy, but with this machine, that's like 120% accuracy :-).

And to the person who suggested a notebook with a Geforce: Unfortunately, last year I had one - the Dell Inspiron 5160. Paid extra for the nice card, too. Problem is it was a Prescott-core P4 (the DESKTOP kind) in a freakin' notebook. It would run at 3.2ghz until it got too hot and then it would actually force-throttle itself down to 600mhz until it cooled off. (That's the other reason I have a Prescott in the house and I'm not even seriously considering it.) Only thing I did with that machine was play through Quake 4 and with the CPU forcing me down to 600mhz every 45 seconds, let's just say makes me like EA even when BF2 lags.

Needless to say I tried to ask Dell about this issue, but I don't speak Hindi. I actually spent three whole days on the phone with them, as they transferred me to different (wrong) departments, lost me in their phone system, and basically said "have you reinstalled Windows... page 928, oh sorry that's the part of the script I'm NOT supposed to read." I know this isn't an issue with Pentium-Ms but damn, I'm not going to spend money with a company that can't admit they made a mistake.

[zone36]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

Install the demo and if it works ok - buy a second copy of the game. I'm on my 3rd copy :)

2nd copy? 3rd copy?

Please explain.

[baggygreen]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

all you should be doing is upgrading to be able to play et:qw - bring on the flames!

Honestly, i reckon you do need to upgrade both the processor and the RAM - at least make the RAM up to 1Gig. A newer processor need not cost the earth, and in all honesty are you playiong the game to play the game, or to look at the pretty scenery? if the good looks arent a big deal, then go with a cheaper upgrade and leave the graphics card. otherwise, upgrade the works.

Of course, this late into the game you should bear in mind any extra requirements that soon-to-be-released games such as both BF2142 and ET:QW, and even FEAR may require.

[dhalsey]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

You could get away with a just a 6200 on that desktop. I built a sff pc using mostly old parts (amd 2500 mobile [socket A], 1gb pc3200 ram, 120watt power supply, and the 6200) and I can actually play bf2 at decent frame rates (don't remember the exact numbers) in 32 person servers. Haven't tried the 64 person servers with it yet.

[VC_Resurrected]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

Upgrading a laptop is probably one of the most costly things on the planet, and in some cases its impossible. it would probably be cheaper to buy a new desktop mate, or upgrade your current DT with all new **** starting from the motherboard up. If you're in england, check out novatech for supplies and machines.

[chuckstar_za]

Re: Does my other computer even have a chance of playing BF2?

haha.. my rig is a dell inspiron 8600 with 512mb ram and an ATI mobility Radeon 9600.. all on low it's ok, not fab, but up to around 40 players it's fine, I get lag and suchlike but if the map takes a long time (say two rounds of sharqi taking around an hour, the stutters go away..) if it gets really busy and stuttery I either go commander or armour... Most of the time it's perfectly playable if you don't mind stutters every now and again..

Using things like gamexp and the like will improve your performance at lower end specs (at least it did for me)