The 945G is a pretty horrid graphics processor. At the very least, you need to upgrade the GPU. Also, your chipset limits you to 4GB of RAM (DDR 2), so you have a little headroom there but not a lot.
Tell us how much you're willing to spend, and we can give you some recommendations.
There's your problem - that is absolutely ANCIENT - and I thought my computer, with an Athlon 64 X2, was ancient (the BIOS is dated from 2006, which is still 6 years after the first P4, though they were sold until 2008) - and what is one reason why I still play 1.6.4? Because I get terrible lag in newer versions, especially 1.9; below you can compare the system requirements for 1.6 to the current requirements; note that the old requirements actually did mention a P4 as the minimum (which means just acceptable performance on low settings) but the recommended CPU is now the minimum:
Note in particular the difference in GPU requirements - the 1.6 recommended is a GeForce 6 series from 2004 whereas the minimum for current versions is a GeForce 9600, which is 3 generations newer (as it happens, my computer falls right between those). Even the 1.6 minimum requirements call for an Intel 950 or better (yours is 945), and again, that is only enough to give playable performance at low settings (due to a bug in 1.7.4 and later versions you need a render distance of 10 or higher for mobs spawn normally).
Also, RAM is not really an issue; I get only about 2 GB of system RAM usage while playing (out of 3 GB) and you can allocate less than the default; even 512 MB is perfectly fine (see here) and the minimum system requirement is 2 GB, certainly with the settings you would use to get acceptable performance (the biggest factor affecting memory usage is render distance, you can't even use higher settings unless you allocate enough memory). Also, a 32 bit OS limits you to 2 GB per process and a bit over 3 GB anyway.
Time for a new computer. Dig one out of the garbage bin if needed. If you were my neighbor, I'd give you a system with better specs than that.
Here's a great gaming computer:
CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 6M Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S Memory: G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series Video Card: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 960 GV-N960WF2OC-4GD Power Supply: Thermaltake 700W TR2 TR-700 Storage: SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Windows: Microsoft Windows 10 Home - 64-bit - OEM Monitor: ASUS VN248H-P Total: $1,015.37 at Newegg.com
If you don't need a monitor or Windows, you save more than $230.
Don't want a "gaming" computer? Take out the video card and save the $224. The processor has a built-on Intel HD Graphics 530 GPU.
An Intel Pentium G4400 processor is only $65 right now, saving $125, and is more than . . . Well, it's so much faster than the P4 she has it can't even be compared. It's like comparing a skateboard to a motorcycle.
So, with all those changes, you're down to a new total of $432 for what's really a still a great computer that will run Minecraft very well. Here it is in list form:
CPU: Intel Pentium G4400 Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S Memory: G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series Power Supply: Thermaltake 700W TR2 TR-700 Storage: SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Total: $432.43 at Newegg.com
My strongest advice would be to use a solid state drive instead of a traditional mechanical hard disk drive. She has 80 GB now, so at nearly twice as much, the Samsung is more than enough.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My short story-like journals; quick-and-easy reads:
CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 6M Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S Memory: G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series Video Card: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 960 GV-N960WF2OC-4GD Power Supply: Thermaltake 700W TR2 TR-700 Storage: SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Windows: Microsoft Windows 10 Home - 64-bit - OEM Monitor: ASUS VN248H-P Total: $1,015.37 at Newegg.com
CPU: Intel Pentium G4400 Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S Memory: G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series Power Supply: Thermaltake 700W TR2 TR-700 Storage: SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Total: $432.43 at Newegg.com
Z170 boards with locked CPUs? 16GB RAM? Questionable overkill wattage PSUs? Minecraft running "very well" on a Pentium G4400 and integrated graphics? Really? About the only thing I actually agree with is the SSD.
This is much more reasonable, modest, and with better performance to boot:
This will easily suit anything that she throws at it in the next couple of years, for a relatively low price considering other pre-built choices in this sort of price range. I am assuming Windows is not required as Ubuntu is mentioned in the first post.
Z170 boards with locked CPUs? 16GB RAM? Questionable overkill wattage PSUs? Minecraft running "very well" on a Pentium G4400 and integrated graphics? Really? About the only thing I actually agree with is the SSD.
This is much more reasonable, modest, and with better performance to boot:
This will easily suit anything that she throws at it in the next couple of years, for a relatively low price considering other pre-built choices in this sort of price range. I am assuming Windows is not required as Ubuntu is mentioned in the first post.
I understand it saves a bit more, but the 750Ti is a lot worse than a GTX 960, and if you can fit a 960 into a $500 build, I'd go for it, especially if the PC sees more use in the future (which isn't unlikely).
Yeah, did he update it or something or did you just recommend a 750 ti over a 960? :?
Eitherway, a 960 is more than enough for moderate gaming. And up until 2016 I could max every game I tried. Including The Witcher 3.
It really depends. Spending $75 more for a 960 may not be worth it if this is not going to be a serious gaming machine, especially if he keeps the original monitor - which considering the age, is sub-1080p. A cheaper GPU will be fine for smaller resolutions and light to moderate gaming.
If all you are doing is playing Minecraft, this should cut it. It's no gaming PC, but you should be able to run Minecraft without much lag on medium settings.
If you're going for a cheapo build or an 'only minecraft rig' you'd do better to just buy any i3 system.
Thanks Totally - That's what I did. Dell had some deals and I got her a i3, 8gb ram, 1tb harddrive small form factor for less than $400
It'll serve you well. And so long as you planned a bit you should even be able to switch out with whatever top i3 will go into that socket come time and it'll last you another few years.
It'll serve you well. And so long as you planned a bit you should even be able to switch out with whatever top i3 will go into that socket come time and it'll last you another few years.
You are correct TotallyNotCarl. I already found a deal on an i5-6400 and upgraded it. I may look for a nice budget graphics card next, but the Intel HD graphics is working good for now.
You are correct TotallyNotCarl. I already found a deal on an i5-6400 and upgraded it. I may look for a nice budget graphics card next, but the Intel HD graphics is working good for now.
Yeah. A GPU is only necessary if you plan on doing something other than minecraft, or wanting to push to a higher res/more screens.
My wife's system seems slow.
Here are her system specs. I think she needs a new PC for Minecraft.
I would like to hear from the forum on their recommendations.
Compaq Desktop PC
Ubuntu Linux 15.10
RAM: 2.0GB
CPU: Intel Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80Ghz X 2
Graphics: Intel 945G x86/MMX/SSE2
OS type: 32-bit
Disk: 80GB
The 945G is a pretty horrid graphics processor. At the very least, you need to upgrade the GPU. Also, your chipset limits you to 4GB of RAM (DDR 2), so you have a little headroom there but not a lot.
Tell us how much you're willing to spend, and we can give you some recommendations.
A Pentium 4 CPU?!
There's your problem - that is absolutely ANCIENT - and I thought my computer, with an Athlon 64 X2, was ancient (the BIOS is dated from 2006, which is still 6 years after the first P4, though they were sold until 2008) - and what is one reason why I still play 1.6.4? Because I get terrible lag in newer versions, especially 1.9; below you can compare the system requirements for 1.6 to the current requirements; note that the old requirements actually did mention a P4 as the minimum (which means just acceptable performance on low settings) but the recommended CPU is now the minimum:
1.6: https://web.archive.org/web/20130819173020/http://help.mojang.com/customer/portal/articles/325948-minecraft-system-requirements
1.9: https://help.mojang.com/customer/portal/articles/325948-minecraft-system-requirements
Note in particular the difference in GPU requirements - the 1.6 recommended is a GeForce 6 series from 2004 whereas the minimum for current versions is a GeForce 9600, which is 3 generations newer (as it happens, my computer falls right between those). Even the 1.6 minimum requirements call for an Intel 950 or better (yours is 945), and again, that is only enough to give playable performance at low settings (due to a bug in 1.7.4 and later versions you need a render distance of 10 or higher for mobs spawn normally).
Also, RAM is not really an issue; I get only about 2 GB of system RAM usage while playing (out of 3 GB) and you can allocate less than the default; even 512 MB is perfectly fine (see here) and the minimum system requirement is 2 GB, certainly with the settings you would use to get acceptable performance (the biggest factor affecting memory usage is render distance, you can't even use higher settings unless you allocate enough memory). Also, a 32 bit OS limits you to 2 GB per process and a bit over 3 GB anyway.
TheMasterCaver's First World - possibly the most caved-out world in Minecraft history - includes world download.
TheMasterCaver's World - my own version of Minecraft largely based on my views of how the game should have evolved since 1.6.4.
Why do I still play in 1.6.4?
Time for a new computer. Dig one out of the garbage bin if needed. If you were my neighbor, I'd give you a system with better specs than that.
Here's a great gaming computer:
CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 6M
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S
Memory: G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series
Video Card: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 960 GV-N960WF2OC-4GD
Power Supply: Thermaltake 700W TR2 TR-700
Storage: SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R
Windows: Microsoft Windows 10 Home - 64-bit - OEM
Monitor: ASUS VN248H-P
Total: $1,015.37 at Newegg.com
If you don't need a monitor or Windows, you save more than $230.
Don't want a "gaming" computer? Take out the video card and save the $224. The processor has a built-on Intel HD Graphics 530 GPU.
An Intel Pentium G4400 processor is only $65 right now, saving $125, and is more than . . . Well, it's so much faster than the P4 she has it can't even be compared. It's like comparing a skateboard to a motorcycle.
So, with all those changes, you're down to a new total of $432 for what's really a still a great computer that will run Minecraft very well. Here it is in list form:
CPU: Intel Pentium G4400
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S
Memory: G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series
Power Supply: Thermaltake 700W TR2 TR-700
Storage: SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R
Total: $432.43 at Newegg.com
My strongest advice would be to use a solid state drive instead of a traditional mechanical hard disk drive. She has 80 GB now, so at nearly twice as much, the Samsung is more than enough.
My short story-like journals; quick-and-easy reads:
My Quest for Elytra Complete! (Pic Intense, End-Game Spoilers)
[Journal & Pics] After a Year and a Half, I Finally Found a Jungle
FrozenCore: Hardcore Death; 3/20/15 to 5/3/15; Eight Weeks on a Frozen World in Pictures
Z170 boards with locked CPUs? 16GB RAM? Questionable overkill wattage PSUs? Minecraft running "very well" on a Pentium G4400 and integrated graphics? Really? About the only thing I actually agree with is the SSD.
This is much more reasonable, modest, and with better performance to boot:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($41.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($16.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($16.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB Superclocked Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($27.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $521.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-02 23:08 EDT-0400
This will easily suit anything that she throws at it in the next couple of years, for a relatively low price considering other pre-built choices in this sort of price range. I am assuming Windows is not required as Ubuntu is mentioned in the first post.
K95 RGB / Logitech G502 PS / Alienware AW3418DW / ViewSonic XG2703-GS / Sennheiser HD 598
Looks good for the most part, though if this machine will not see much gaming apart from Minecraft, I would save some money and go with a GTX 750 TI, which runs for $104.99:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500349&cm_re=gtx_750_ti-_-14-500-349-_-Product
Thanks for the responses. I agree with you that it is time for a new system.
Yeah, did he update it or something or did you just recommend a 750 ti over a 960? :?
Eitherway, a 960 is more than enough for moderate gaming. And up until 2016 I could max every game I tried. Including The Witcher 3.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
-Albert Einstein
Current setup: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PJzPD3
It really depends. Spending $75 more for a 960 may not be worth it if this is not going to be a serious gaming machine, especially if he keeps the original monitor - which considering the age, is sub-1080p. A cheaper GPU will be fine for smaller resolutions and light to moderate gaming.
Thanks for all your inputs.
We are grandparents playing Easy Survival with grandkids. Don't care about getting 1080p graphics if we don't need them.
Our budget is $500 and down.
The machine will not be used for any other gaming besides Minecraft, and my wife likes email and web browsing for new.
Just wanted to eliminate the lag in Easy Survival games.
If that's all, than something like this would be great:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Pentium G4400 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($41.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($27.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $394.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-03 17:12 EDT-0400
Gaming PC Specs - Intel i5-2500K ~ ASUS P8P67M-Pro ~ Hyper 212+ ~ MSI GTX 970 OC ~ 8GB DDR3 Ram ~ 250GB Samsung EVO 850 ~ 500GB HardDrive ~ XFX 550w PSU ~ Fractal Core 1000 ~ Windows 8.1 ~ Samsung P2350 1080p Soon upgrading to GTX 1080/R9 490X + 1440p 144Hz
Macbook Pro 15" Retina - Intel i7 ~ 8GB Ram ~ Nvidia GT 650M ~ 256GB SSD ~ 2880 by 1800 Screen <3
[Removed]
If you're going for a cheapo build or an 'only minecraft rig' you'd do better to just buy any i3 system.
Integrated graphics is more than enough.
Thanks Totally - That's what I did. Dell had some deals and I got her a i3, 8gb ram, 1tb harddrive small form factor for less than $400
It'll serve you well. And so long as you planned a bit you should even be able to switch out with whatever top i3 will go into that socket come time and it'll last you another few years.
You are correct TotallyNotCarl. I already found a deal on an i5-6400 and upgraded it. I may look for a nice budget graphics card next, but the Intel HD graphics is working good for now.
Yeah. A GPU is only necessary if you plan on doing something other than minecraft, or wanting to push to a higher res/more screens.
Looks like your PC is ancient. Try these specifications:
-Intel Z170 motherboard
-8GB DDR4, 1TB HDD
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti
-500W psu
-Windows 10 Home Edition