Advice needed: Best upgrade path

[dibrah]

I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade my current PC or simply start from scratch and buy/build a new one. I use my PC primarily for playing games - I don't need top of the line but I would like a middle to high end machine. Here's the current setup:

AMD Athlon(TM) XP 2000+ (1.7ghz)
Asus A7V333 - AGP 2.0, 4x enabled
1 gig (2x512) PC2700
NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4600
80GB IDE Hard Drive
Creative SB Audigy
365W Enermax PSU
Windows XP w/SP2
3DMark03 score: 1743 ---> 3D Mark Comparison
CoolerMaster 201 w/ 3 fans

Here are the upgrade paths I'm considering:

1. Video card & processor upgrade

Upgrade the video card to a 6600GT or 6800GT and the processor to a 2600XP 266FSB. That processor is the highest my mobo will accept. As for the vid card, I'm not sure if the 6800GT will provide a significant difference over the 6600GT considering other system bottlenecks. In fact, I'm not even sure if the 6800GT will work on an AGP 2.0 mobo.

2. Major system overhaul: mobo, processor, video card & memory

Basically upgrade the internals of the system with a PCI-E mobo, 3500+ processor, pc3200 memory and a 6800GT. This overhaul probably provides the most bang for the buck (~$1000) but I'm apprehensive about performing "open heart surgery" on my system. I almost feel it's easier to start from scratch than try to incorporate legacy components with new ones.

3. Start from scratch by buying or building

This would probably cost about $1700 - $2000 for the system I want to build.

The first option is the quickest and cheapest, but I'm not sure how much of a qualitative lift I'm gong to see in gaming. I also have the sense that if I do this, I'm just putting off a major upgrade for a year at most. The second option is probably the best if it works but it seems like a lot could go wrong. The third option speaks for itself.

Any opinions?

 

[Silversierra]

Well it probably wouldn't be much more to build a complete system than to do a major overhaul, plus then you have an extra pc you can sell/donate/network/etc. If the 6 series video cards work with 4x, that would probably be the easiest/cheapest route, and it should have acceptable performance. What do you want to play?

 

[dibrah]

I'm mostly playing HL2 and WoW. I get good performance on both right now but most of the extras are turned down. Plus, I just ordered a widescreen monitor with 1680 x 1050 resolution, so I need a little more graphical horsepower. I run everything today in 1280x1024.

 

[Chosonman]

I suggest option 2 or 3

If you only replace the processor you will be limited because of the motherboard. I came a conclusion several months ago as I was contemplating building my new system. In order for me to get 100% out of my new Graphics card I would need to upgrade both my CPU and motherboard and also my Memory.

I was using a Pentium 4 1.8, Geforce 3 64MB, and SDRAM 133 RAM.

Now I have a AMD 64 3000 (754), 6800 128MB and DDR PC3200 RAM

 

[imported_fatal]

Go for door #2

I had a system with almost the same specs as yours
Athlon 1900+
Geforce440 mx
512 ram

I upgraded to geforce4 5900 & it did not improve framerate like I had hoped beacuse of the CPU being the bottleneck. When I upgraded my CPU to a 3000+ I saw an excellent improvement. I can now play HalfLife2 & Doom3

 

[The Green Bean]

Btw the 5900 is not a geforce4!!!

Anyways, Id suggest getting a 2600+ overclocking it somewhat and coupling it up with a 6600GT...The 2600+ when overclocked is no slow machine. Infact it would put some of the intels with HT to shame. Hell a 3200+ barton is as fast as a 2800+ A64. And with my system, I get 10500 03 and 4500 05 3D marks. With a 3400+ I would have at max noticed a 10% gain in performance...Maybe a bottleneck but more than enough to play HL2 at full...I'd suggest upragind only the processor and video and then getting a new rig when dual cored procs come out. And then you can get a R520 or Nv50.

 

[Duvie]

i would start from scratch.....Maybe the case, sound card and the 80gb iDE drive (as a backup storage drive) can stay....

Though I would get a A64.....sckt 939 w/ a NF4 mobo and PCI-e vid card...whty go agp and socket 754...You seem as if you hold on a bit let see if we can build a system that can pop in a dual core in a year if you need it....

I would get SATA drives...Raptor for main drive (OS and Apps) and larger 160gb for a main storage drive

Get a 6800 or ATI card...I dont really care...SLI you ned to go Nvidia....

Ram get some PC3200 DDR...cheap, value, expensive...whatever!!!

 

[Zardnok]

I went from an AMD Athlon XP 2200+ to an AMD Athlon mobile 2600+ and overclocked it to 2.5. I went from a GeForce4600 to a 6800nu.

The processor upgrade made a minor difference in system performance. I could tell the difference at least. The video card made a massive difference in system performance.

If I were in your shoes, I would upgrade the video card first and simply try to overclock the chip you already have. Pretty sure the 2000 chip is at 133 fsb with a top locked multiplier. Could increase the fsb on that one up to 166 and boom pow! You have suddenly got the 2600 performance you were looking for.

If you are not satisfied with the increase in performance from just a video card improvement, you can go ahead and get a new mobo/processor as well. I have waffled back and forth over the diffferences between 754 and 939 and finally come to the conclusion that if money is an issue, definitely go for the 754. You can use your new video card in this system and be ready to ROMP!!

 

[Duvie]

But on the other hand if you are going to upgrade your vid card why not get the pci-e cards...yiou obviously hold onto them a bit and by then the pci-e and is bandwidth may be very useful as well as when you get ready to sell it most will only want PCI-e cards...hold its value better...