780G onboard HD 3200 vs old FX 5900 SE

[CurseTheSky]

My girlfriend's cousin has an aging computer, and she'd like to upgrade it enough to play Sims 3 (she's a very casual gamer). I'm not 100% sure of the specs, but it looks like a Socket A motherboard (most likely PC Chips M810LR, though it has no badging anywhere) with 256 MB SD RAM, cheap 350w PSU, and onboard graphics (AGP 4x slot available).

On the game's minimum specs, it requires a graphics card with pixel shader 2.0, and a FX 5900 or newer card is required. I happen to have a FX 5900 SE (XT) sitting around doing nothing. We could order 2x 512MB of SD RAM and a reliable PSU for about $100-110 total, throw in the card, and meet the minimum specs. However, even if it all works out, it's still an old computer at the end of the day.

On the other hand, I could order a newer 780G motherboard, AM2 processor, DDR2 memory, and scrounge for a PSU for around $140 (more like $180 if I can't find a PSU). Keep in mind, money is a major issue here.

So, my question is: how does the onboard HD 3200 compare to the older FX 5900 SE? I'm hoping it runs laps around it, which would definitely justify the purchase. The HD 3200 is listed in the minimum requirements specs.

Thank you.

Edit: Geforce 8200 motherboards are also decently cheap, if they're any better.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

One of the lady-friends Laptops uses a cheap Geforce 7 integrated and it runs without and issue.

Considering AMD has a decent integrated chip, the 3200 will be sufficient at low-med settings at the very least.

 

[RussianSensation]

Considering how old that computer is, buying ANY parts such as SD ram for it is a waste of $ imo. Given that the computer has been used for so long, maybe the cousin can throw in some $$$ to help you finance the upgrade If she has used a Socket A until this time, a dual core system will probably last her another 5 years.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...&ItemList=Combo.235851

1. AMD ADX245OCGQBOX: $67.99 (dual core 2.9ghz)
2. ECS A780GM-A: $69.99
3. Western Digital WD5000AAJS: $54.99
4. Corsair (XMS Series) TWIN2X4096-6400C5C: $62.99
Combo Discount: -$33.00
Combo Price: $222.96
$15.00 Mail-In Rebate pdf
$20.00 Mail-In Rebate Card pdf
Sub-total: $188

Add: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139008
5. CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W: $49
$20.00 Mail-In Rebate
Sub-total $30

You are at $220 for a complete system overhaul. This way she'll be ready to watch HD content and use Windows 7.

As a bonus try to sell all her old parts plus that 5900SE for $20 to a person who just wants to use it for internet. So your net upgrade will be $200.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The family just bought the computer (as old as it is) about a year ago. It was cheap, but I would have suggested against it if they had asked my advice.

Unfortunately she's the one financing any upgrades, and $100 is already a good chunk of change for her (she's 16 IIRC). $200+ is totally out of the question. I'm not happy with even considering dumping money into such an old system, but my options are very limited.

I'll have to check more combo deals to see if I can get just a processor, motherboard, and memory for around $100. 780G is a must (best integrated I can find), and dual core / 1GB or better would be ideal.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Well you don't have to go dual core. Even a new Sempron or Athlon LE would give her better performance than the Athlon XP she's using. You could probably go on Ebay and look for a socket AM2 Sempron to use as you can probably find them pretty cheap. The cheapest on newegg is $40. Then pick up a 780G board and 1-2GB of RAM. Will probably cost you a bit over $100. You should be able to reuse the power supply, if it has the 24-pin connector.

Now as to HD3200 vs. 5900... they should perform pretty close really. The HD3200 should not run circles around it, but I think it will offer a similar level of performance. I'm a bit hesitant with this remark, however, as I'm very fuzzy in how the 5900 performs and in what relation it has to other cards, and I'm not going to waste my time looking up old benchmarks for this card. But one thing I can say is this: I've tested and compared an X800GT (on an Athlon XP machine) to an HD3200 (on an Athlon X2 machine), and the X800GT did provide better framerates and a better gaming experience (despite the HD3200 being paired with a much, much faster processor).