RG4's PC Modding Crisis Thread Options

[Renee]

Check it out, my very first post in a modding forum. Interestingly enough this forum happens to be rather slow. I can see some threads haven't been touched since summer or even earlier.

Enough with the small talk though. I am starting this thread because (let's face it) I am new to PC gaming and I'm going to need a LOT of help in the upcoming months and years. So this thread is a place to hopefully get all my answers questions, and questions answers. And of course if somebody else has questions they can ask 'em too.

I keep a 'modding file' on a Word Pad page located in one of my PC's folders, and I've been adding a lot of helpful random advice there, but one of my probs is sometimes I'll read something online in some thread, and then later I'll go to have a look at that thread, trying to remember what the solution is to a problem, but I can't find it anymore.

I'm somewhat of a PC dummy, but also a fast learner. I'm not sure if Beth's forums have a decent modding community; I'm sure it's great (and with a low rate of flaming), but I also can sometimes get too overwhelmed by Bethesda's official forums. I also know that Beth is packed with rude gamers, and I don't have time for that sort of nonsense.

Also, Why ask questions there when everybody I trust is already here, right?

I've been hearing about how great Wrye Bash is, so this is one of the very first things I think I'll mess with. I have also heard Nexus is better than Steam to get mods from, so I'm following that advice. When I go on Nexus and try to locate Wrye Bash, I find a page which has several different versions (?) attached to it.

Which one do I choose? I am assuming it's this one?

This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Dec 22 2013, 01:49 PM

[SubRosa]

I think the first place to start is going to be your current computer. Open the case and see what kind of video card slot you have on the motherboard. It is probably a PCI-Express (or PCI-E slot). But you never know, it might be an AGP slot, some older computer still have those. This pic shows the difference between slots. Write that down, because you need to make sure the card you buy uses the right slot.

I suggest going for an Nvidia-based card. Different companies like EVGA or Visiontek make the cards themselves, the chipset they all use is Nvidia. Just look for the Geforce name. There is really not a whole lot of difference between the Nvidia video cards and the AMD cards (AMD bought out ATI). I have been using Nvidia since 3dfx went out of business, and I have always been happy with the quality of the chipsets, and the driver support. So I stick with what I know to be good. I am sure many people say the same about the ATI/AMD cards too.

Generally speaking, the more money you spend the better you are going to get. But I know you do not have a zillion samoleons to blow on a video card. You should be able to find a decent card in the $100 - $150 price range. Look for something with at least 1gig of onboard memory. These days DDR5 memory is pretty standard, so I would no go with anything slower. (the DDR# is a basic speed of how quick the memory works, the higher the number the better). This guy looks like a good card that won't bankrupt someone. It will handle a game like Skyrim just fine.

Best Buy is probably a good place to look. I often go to Micro Center. It looks like they have a couple of stores out in Maryland, so if they are close you could try them. I don't know what else is out there. Don't be shy about buying online though.


Edited to Add: It is also not a bad idea to look for how many and what kind of free power plugs you have left inside your case. In the old days you just slid the card into the slot on the motherboard and that was it. But modern cards have so much horsepower that they require their own power connections. Usually the video card needs a 6 pin power cable that looks kind of like a lego. Sometimes there is an 8 pin cable coming from your power supply, with a detachable part that takes off 2 pins and lets you use just 6. Depending on the card you buy, you might need 1 or 2 of these 6 pin cables. Here is a page all about power connecters. The ones I am talking about are the 6 pin PCI Express, and the 6 + 2 Pin variety. A lot of power supplies come with the 6 + 2 kind, that way you can just pop off the extra 2 pins if you do not need them. Mine is like that in fact.

You might also need more than one cable for your card. I have a pair of Geforce 670s, and they each use two 6pins. If you don't have any 6 pin cables and you need them, there are adapters you can buy that will plug into a standard 4 pin drive cable. There is a pic of one of those above.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 14 2014, 07:38 PM