JT325 Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Hey guys, I've been playing Planet Coaster for about a month now and loving it! My PC is about 4 years old... and running a little slow with some of the bigger parks I'm building in Planet Coaster. I'm looking for some advice for a simple upgrade to my PC, if possible, to make the game run nicer. Not very tech savvy compared to many folks, so simple is best. I've put a RAM card in a computer before, but nothing too advanced. Eventually I'll get a new gaming computer, but looking to keep it under $100 for a quick upgrade. Any advice? Here is my current system: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Do you have a dedicated graphics card? Desktop or laptop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted August 22, 2018 Author Share Posted August 22, 2018 Do you have a dedicated graphics card? I don't think so... I mean, I'm really clueless about this stuff. But I did have a friend help me retrieve this info: Which would seem to indicate that my system (Desktop) is not anywhere near fast enough for a big park in Planet Coaster. I'll just have to play it the best I can until I'm ready to get that new (gaming) computer. That will give me plenty of time to work on single coaster projects and cute pop stands and restrooms and stuff haha Unless of course there is a quick, cheap and easy fix. I'm ok with waiting for a new computer as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rai Fox Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 That CPU is still fine; CPU advancements have been minimal the last few years and that one will still keep up easily. You could use a bit more ram for bigger parks, but it's really the GPU that's holding you back. A GT 635 was barely a gaming graphics card even in its time, and it's many generations out of date right now. Unfortunately, that's also the most expensive part of a gaming computer, so not a cheap upgrade. You're not going to get a meaningful upgrade for $100. Something like https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125906 is a good bargain and will run most games at decent settings and framerates, but you're still looking at $250 there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 ^Thank you for the input! When I got this computer, I was told it could run No Limits 2 just fine... then I barely played that game. It makes sense that Planet Coaster is far more advanced and "heavy" than NL2. I'll probably wait a couple months and buy a new system. Planet Coaster is out of the world - holy - cow - awesome. I could kick myself for waiting so long to download it. When the game premiered 2 years ago, I saw they did NOT have a Schwarzkopf coaster and decided to take a pass. I have a feeling that will come along; even with out it's awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALT2870 Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Repeating a question from above, is this a tower, all in one, or a laptop? The answer will make all the difference. I think you would be wasting your money to buy a whole new system just to run Planet Coaster when really only one thing is holding you back. That being said if you were thinking about a new system and were saving the money... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rai Fox Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 ALT2870 has a point. It sounds like you want to scrap your computer and buy a new one but if it's an upgrade-able desktop, don't think you need to go that far? While your CPU isn't brand new state-of-the-art, it's 90% as fast as you'll get in a most decent gaming computers now. It doesn't sound like replacing your entire machine is necessary. Get yourself a decent graphics card, at least 16 GB of ram, and a solid state drive if you can; it sounds like you should be able to add those into your current computer (assuming it's not a walmart grade off-the-shelf machine with no expansion slots) and get it up very close to what you'd get out of a brand new machine, for 1/3 the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 ^It's a desktop (actually, I answered that 2 posts above, it's in parenthesis ) ^Hmmm... you definitely have a good point. So I would need 3 items: New graphics card, extra RAM and a solid state drive? My machine is from Microcenter; it has one extra slot. Thanks for the input guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALT2870 Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 ^It's a desktop (actually, I answered that 2 posts above, it's in parenthesis ) ^Hmmm... you definitely have a good point. So I would need 3 items: New graphics card, extra RAM and a solid state drive? My machine is from Microcenter; it has one extra slot. Thanks for the input guys Desktop to me means either a tower or an all-in-one but that might me just me. (So tower, right?) New graphics card is certainly a must, that is mainly what is holding you back. Second priority would be RAM, cheapest of the three. While an SSD is fine and dandy, I would consider it a lower priority. Also keep in mind you will need to transfer ideally your OS over there which can be tricky if not knowing what you are doing. (I guess you could use the SSD for applications only but I'd prefer faster boots for the OS as well.) Side comment, if you really can get into it, Intel offers Optane Memory which basically makes your HDD more like an SSD for way less. But you need the right equipment and knowledge to do that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted August 25, 2018 Author Share Posted August 25, 2018 Desktop to me means either a tower or an all-in-one but that might me just me. (So tower, right?) It's a tower. Also keep in mind you will need to transfer ideally your OS over there which can be tricky if not knowing what you are doing. The key! I will have to do my homework or get a friend - who knows this stuff well - over to help. Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 Do you have a dedicated graphics card? I don't think so... I mean, I'm really clueless about this stuff. But I did have a friend help me retrieve this info: Sweet! Actually you do have a dedicated graphics card, and that's great. It's just that the one you have isn't very good. It's entry level and fine for most things. But good news for you is that upgrading is fairly cheap and easy. That GTX 1060 referenced above is a good card and should help out a lot. You can ask the store to install it for you, or your friend who got the specs screenshot may have enough experience to swap it out too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted August 25, 2018 Author Share Posted August 25, 2018 ^Thanks for all the support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now