Need help deciding if I should get a new video card and motherboard or not..among other things

[Erinaea]

Hi guys!

 

So, I would like to open with a statement - I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to computer hardware.

 

Phew, now that that is out of the way..I have some questions and some pleas for help.

 

My question is mainly, where can I go/what book can I buy to learn about video cards, computer specs, overclocking and so forth. I have tried searching the web and haven't really found and truly useful resources out there.

 

My other question is, how do I find out what kind of motherboard I have in my PC currently? I relied on someone else to build my computer for me(someone in an obscure computer place that my family uses, I don't know why..supposedly he charges the less than Best Buy and such)

 

My last question is, how could I figure out why a game may be lagging? If I set something to its highest settings and it's lagging..is that due to my computer not being powerful enough to run it or other issues?

 

My plea for help is, basically, I have set aside around $700-800 for buying a new video card and motherboard..and I would like to know if believing I can get something that will run something akin to Arma III on its highest settings is a realistic expectation for the money I have set aside. 

 

So, as you can see..I am hopelessly lost when it comes to these kinds of things. I am new to PC gaming and thoroughly enjoy it for the most part. The hardware is what gives me a headache.

 

I know what card and processor I have currently, a GTX 570 and an i7, if that helps at all.

[Guest Shendar]

 

My question is mainly, where can I go/what book can I buy to learn about video cards, computer specs, overclocking and so forth. I have tried searching the web and haven't really found and truly useful resources out there.

 

Wikipedia would be a good start. For basic stuff like video cards, motherboards and other computer specs Google will eventually yield some decent

results. Unfortunately I can't recommend any PC-related books in English (most of my tech literature is in different language).

 

 

I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to computer hardware.

 

In this case I'd think twice before doing any overclocking. It's very easy to fry your hardware if you are not careful.

 

 

My other question is, how do I find out what kind of motherboard I have in my PC currently? I relied on someone else to build my computer for me(someone in an obscure computer place that my family uses, I don't know why..supposedly he charges the less than Best Buy and such).

 

Tools like Speccy (free) or AIDA64 (paid) provide a lot of information about your hardware, software, operating system, etc.

 

 

My last question is, how could I figure out why a game may be lagging? If I set something to its highest settings and it's lagging..is that due to my computer not being powerful enough to run it or other issues?

 

There are many reasons why game may be lagging: bad video card driver, hardware overheating, cluttered operating system, malware or the game itself is just laggy as hell. If you have constant problems with lag, your best bet is to find someone to come and check your PC in person. Otherwise solution usually may be found on official forums of that game.

 

 

My plea for help is, basically, I have set aside around $700-800 for buying a new video card and motherboard..and I would like to know if believing I can get something that will run something akin to Arma III on its highest settings is a realistic expectation for the money I have set aside. 

 

Prices vary in different countries so I can't be 100% sure but I think you can easily upgrade your video card and/or RAM (might be necessary if you play latest high-end games). Check online shops in your country to get general idea about PC component prices.

 

 

I know what card and processor I have currently, a GTX 570 and an i7, if that helps at all.

 

I'd upgrade video card (to nVidia GeForce GTX 7xx series) and RAM (to 8 or 16 Gb). Intel i7 processor will be good enough for quite some time.

 

For reference - my current hardware:

 

MB: Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z

CPU: QuadCore Intel Core i7-2600K, 3800 MHz

GPU: Asus Matrix GTX580

RAM: 2 x Kingston HyperX 4 Gb

 

And the kind of games I play nowadays... 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR3vgodIzqY