I want to get in on this "Starcraft" nonsense, but there is a problem

I'm not really a PC gamer and my PC is probably ancient by today's standard

I need you kind gentlemen to tell me how much it'll cost to upgrade my PC to a point where I can play Starcraft II at decent to good settings
 
 
Here are my specs:
 
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.100218-0019)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: Inspiron 530s
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual  CPU  E2200  @ 2.20GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.2GHz
Memory: 3060MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 7.00.6002.18107 32bit Unicode

 http://cyri.systemrequirementslab.com/CYRI/intro.aspx
try this out, It'll tell you what you have and what you need

Well you could always download the demo and see how that runs.

I'm assuming you don't have a dedicated graphics card, and you'll need one of those. You don't have to go crazy, an 8800 would probably do you fine. I think BFG manufactured an overclocked edition, and their cards come with a lifetime warranty.

So all i need is a new graphics card? No RAMs or anything? 
 
I'm PC retarded :( please help

3 gigs of RAM is probably fine. Your CPU is a little on the old side, but it's a dual core, and Blizzard knows optimization if anything, so you'll be fine in that regard, but it'll will handicap your gameplay in other titles, if you decide to become a full-on PC gamer.

You're setup is pretty close to mine actually and I'm playing it with medium graphics settings and so far it's running pretty smooth.

" So all i need is a new graphics card? No RAMs or anything?   I'm PC retarded :( please help "

" @luce said:

" So all i need is a new graphics card? No RAMs or anything?   I'm PC retarded :( please help "

you need mad ramz "

If you buy a separate graphics card, you will most likely need a new power supply as well.   You need to open your PC and look up the max. Wattage of your current Power Supply, there is no way to determine this by software.
 

" If you buy a separate graphics card, you will most likely need a new power supply as well.   You need to open your PC and look up the max. Wattage of your current Power Supply, there is no way to determine this by software.   "

It's a shame the learning curve is so high and competition so unbalanced, otherwise i would play

I just learned that my computer can run SC2, but I have so many other things to do I really shouldn't get it.  The call of Jimmy is intoxicating

" @hedfone said:

" @luce said:

" So all i need is a new graphics card? No RAMs or anything?   I'm PC retarded :( please help "

you need mad ramz "

I got 8 gigs of ram on the main desktop, and the last Protoss mission slowed down to no end.  O_O  Sooo many units.... "

I have no problems with the game. I try to keep my computer new and powerful every day

I wish I could but some hooligans took my computer!    

You're RAM is good enough, a little short from 4 GB which is normally enough to play most games without problems. StarCraft 2 is heavy on optimization compare to some sloppy PC ports and versions that has came out of late, so you won't really need much on the specs. You can get a decent dedicated graphics card to run the game and it will be no problem. If you want to jump right into PC gaming other than just SC2, you might want to look at higher end cards and buy a bigger power supply for it.

i need to stop procrastinating and pick this up.

I'm running a Toshiba Satellite laptop.  If you can deal with turning down the settings, the game runs just fine.

protossislegit

looks like you just need a dedicated video card & maybe another gig of ram but you'll probably be able to run it on medium settings.
 
Edit:  Oh I just noticed you got a dell MB so you might be limited to what video cards you can get or you might not be able to add one at all since I believe Dell's stuff is sorta proprietary, I think.

" I'm running a Toshiba Satellite laptop.  If you can deal with turning down the settings, the game runs just fine. "

This game has me super hype for D3.  I need to stop procrastinating and buy parts for a new build.