Halo 1 & 2 for PC
This topic has moved here: Subject: PC Advice - Please Help
  • Subject: PC Advice - Please Help
Subject: PC Advice - Please Help
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I am thinking about purchasing a new PC for gaming. For $450 (after 2 $50 rebates and $100 of for credit card sign up), I can get a Compaq Presario SR1850NX. It has the following:

-AMD Athlon 64 3700 Processor (2.2GHz)
-1GB PC3200 DDR SDRAM (expandable to 4GB)
-1 PCI Express Slot for video card
-Windows XP Media Center
-Integrated ATI RADEON Xpress 200 Video Chipset (up to 256MB shared)

Here is an address for more details:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?produ ct_id=0237175

Will I be happy with this PC for gaming? I play Halo, Unreal Tournament, Call of Duty, etc. I expect that I would have to buy a video card for it, but would like to hear about how it would be temporarily with the integrated graphics.

I am currently using a Compaq with a Celeron D processor and have to turn the resolution, graphics and sound down to the lowest settings to play.

  • 05.11.2006 8:43 AM PDT
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Honestly? Buying a manufactured PC is not usually the best route to go for a gaming rig. Why? Too many reasons to list. However, that PC will be more than able to run the games you're playing. Besides, it's a good price. If you can't afford to build your own PC, that one will do just fine for you for a while.

Definitely make sure to purchase a new vid card, though.

  • 05.11.2006 10:23 AM PDT
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Okay, dude, here's your rundown:

Compaq-Good, could be better, but a decent brand. I've got one myself.
AMD Athlon 64-VERY good, actually.
RAM-More than enough if you wanna run a simple game of halo.
PCI Express-Good if you want to get a Vid Card
XP Media Center-Pretty good...but you do realize that the new OS, Vista, is gonna come out next year, right?
ATI Xpress-Very good for your purposes. Halo and UT04 won't have a bit of trouble. I know this because I have the exact same as yours. Just be aware that the chipset will share RAM with your computer, meaning a fair amount of your RAM will already be occupied. Meaning that your 1GB will actually be more like 800-something MBs. See if you can get a real graphics card instead.

A few other notes: Realize that Vista will come out, and when it does, you'll probably want to buy a graphics card with DX10 technology. DX9, which is enabled on your ATI Xpress card, is fully capable of running Vista at full, complete with Aero Glass, but you'll need DX10 for future games.

Second, you might want to consider building your own computer. It'll save you a lot of money, and you'll know exactly what's going into your computer. Plus, there's OverClocking avalible for you.

Third, you may also want to consider holding off on buying a computer right now altogether. Windows Vista will come out soon, and with that, Halo 2 for PC (which WON'T run on WinXP). When H2PC rolls around, you'll need a computer with DX10 technology to run, meaning you'll have to shell out 300 for the new OS. Even if you buy a computer with "Ready for Vista" stickers on it, that only guarantees that you can run the most basic version of Vista, the dumbed-down version, not necessarily anything higher than that. If you buy a computer in about a little more than a half-year's time, you'll get Vista, plus a graphics card with DX10 tech. Otherwise, you'll be paying for WinXP OS and then have to pay for Vista OS to play H2PC.

Here's my setup for reference:
Compaq Presario v2000 (Notebook Computer)
AMD Turion 64 MT @ 1.8
Mobility ATI Radeon Xpress 200
DX9
512 RAM

Halo runs with a bit of lag on my compy...I've gotta upgrade the RAM, but aside from that, it'll run Halo and UT04 fine.

[Edited on 5/11/2006]

  • 05.11.2006 12:37 PM PDT
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The computer is more than good enough for the games you want to play, EXCEPT for the videocard. If you want to play games you will NEED, not want, a new videocard. The xpress 200 is a very low end card and is terrible. You will have you keep the games settings on the lowest possible ones. The resolution will be lower than 800x600 gaurenteed.

To get a decent videocard expect to pay about $150-200.

  • 05.11.2006 12:43 PM PDT
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Posted by: TMH1988


The computer is more than good enough for the games you want to play, EXCEPT for the videocard. If you want to play games you will NEED, not want, a new videocard. The xpress 200 is a very low end card and is terrible. You will have you keep the games settings on the lowest possible ones. The resolution will be lower than 800x600 gaurenteed.

To get a decent videocard expect to pay about $150-200.


Sorry, TMH, but that chipset WILL run Halo. I've got one in my box, and it runs Halo on full with all settings. It's my RAM that's holding me back.

  • 05.11.2006 12:49 PM PDT
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Posted by: me15ter
Posted by: TMH1988


The computer is more than good enough for the games you want to play, EXCEPT for the videocard. If you want to play games you will NEED, not want, a new videocard. The xpress 200 is a very low end card and is terrible. You will have you keep the games settings on the lowest possible ones. The resolution will be lower than 800x600 gaurenteed.

To get a decent videocard expect to pay about $150-200.


Sorry, TMH, but that chipset WILL run Halo. I've got one in my box, and it runs Halo on full with all settings. It's my RAM that's holding me back.


Depends on your processor, me15ter, my 1.8GHz celeron in my lappy can just barely run Halo with all gfx turned all the way down with a 200M integrated gfx. And I have 1 GB of RAM.

  • 05.11.2006 1:21 PM PDT
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Posted by: aM Inspire
Depends on your processor, me15ter, my 1.8GHz celeron in my lappy can just barely run Halo with all gfx turned all the way down with a 200M integrated gfx. And I have 1 GB of RAM.


True...but that doesn't mean the gfx chipset itself is able to handle it. It's like a bottleneck, in your case-the Gfx is capable of putting out more than your processor is able to handle at one time. And that Celeron is prolly what's holding it back, since Intel's known for listing processing speed higher than actual output.

Back to my point, however, the 200 is a VERY capable GPU, especially when coupled with the processor Cosmo proposes. More than able to handle Halo in full glory.

  • 05.11.2006 2:49 PM PDT
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Posted by: me15ter
Posted by: TMH1988


The computer is more than good enough for the games you want to play, EXCEPT for the videocard. If you want to play games you will NEED, not want, a new videocard. The xpress 200 is a very low end card and is terrible. You will have you keep the games settings on the lowest possible ones. The resolution will be lower than 800x600 gaurenteed.

To get a decent videocard expect to pay about $150-200.


Sorry, TMH, but that chipset WILL run Halo. I've got one in my box, and it runs Halo on full with all settings. It's my RAM that's holding me back.



No, sorry but your wrong. Its your videocard thats holding you back. Hopefully omniosspartan, gemini, or someone else can back me up on this one. Ram helps, but a videocard makes all the difference when gaming. You could have an althon fx60, 4 gigs of ram, and a 15,000rpm hard drive, but if you have something like the xpress200, its going to be a terrible gaming pc.

  • 05.11.2006 5:49 PM PDT
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I'll back you up, TMH. The 200M is teh suck.

  • 05.11.2006 6:46 PM PDT
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Posted by: aM Inspire
I'll back you up, TMH. The 200M is teh suck.


Oh noes! Inspire, how could you!

(ROFL. I needed that laugh. Thanks.)

Hm. I'll take a few screenies sometime later and post em...I assure you that I can run Halo on full using that chipset.

  • 05.11.2006 7:30 PM PDT
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*edited out*

[Edited on 5/11/2006]

  • 05.11.2006 7:55 PM PDT
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Posted by: me15ter
Posted by: aM Inspire
I'll back you up, TMH. The 200M is teh suck.


Oh noes! Inspire, how could you!

(ROFL. I needed that laugh. Thanks.)

Hm. I'll take a few screenies sometime later and post em...I assure you that I can run Halo on full using that chipset.


yea well what resolution are you running it at. I can guarentee its no higher than 800x600

  • 05.11.2006 8:29 PM PDT
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I used to have a geforce4 mx440 and the most i can run it on is 800x600, because on 1024x768 it would lag like none other.

  • 05.11.2006 8:33 PM PDT
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no it wouldnt lag, it would drop in frame rate. Lag is caused by a bad internet connection, a drop in fps is due to a bad videocard.

i got what you mean though

[Edited on 5/11/2006]

  • 05.11.2006 8:54 PM PDT
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One of the highest ones, I'm positive. 1280x1024? Or something like that. Can't remember off the top of my head. My computer's a widescreen, so it'll be slightly flattened.

  • 05.11.2006 9:14 PM PDT
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ok then if yuour actually running it at that, then you dont have an xpress 200. That can not handle it. I think thats even an integrated chipset. There is absolutely no way at all. I can get at least 20 people to say the same thing.

  • 05.11.2006 9:20 PM PDT