Greetings, looking to speed up my sons computer.

[Synaptic71]

I'll start by saying that while I am moderately informed when it comes to PC's, hardware and the like, I could always use more support from those who are more in the know.

My son's gaming computer consists of:

1. Asus M2A-VM Motherboard - RS690M chipset.
2. AMD X2 5200+ CPU ( Brisbane ).
3. EVGA 9800 GTX/GTX+ 512MB.
4. 3GB RAM, non dual channel, 1*2GB PC5300 OCZ, and 1*1GB OCZ PC6400.
5. Windows 7 64 Bit Ultimate.

While we have a bunch of other gifts to buy the kids, I am looking for the one NOTICEABLE increase to performance for his system. I could sell the 9800GTX and add cash for a better video card, purchase a 2x2GB kit of PC-6400 RAM, or possibly upgrade the mobo/CPU. Which category would give me the best bang for my buck.

Also, a RAM question. Is it possible to buy DDR2 PC-1066 RAM, and use it in a board that only accepts DDR2 PC-800, and just get PC-800 speed out of it? Will it be backwards compatible? Or does the board have to accept a range of speeds up to and including that PC-1066 for it to even work at all?

Any advice is appreciated.

PS: The games he plays are Age of Conan, CS:S, and some other minor titles that his PC can definitely handle. We are just looking more towards the future.

Thanks again.

 

[Blain]

* What's your budget?
* What HD configuration is the PC running?
* Have you or will you OC the system?
* What kind of air flow is there in the case?

 

[Synaptic71]

Budget is only dependent on which category I upgrade. For example, the video card I am contemplating is the HD4890 1 GB. For RAM, I would likely get a decent 2X2GB dual channel kit. As far as mobo/CPU combo, I would likely spend at a ceiling of $180 or so.

Mostly just looking for the one biggest increase out of the three.

I use stock airflow, I do not overclock, I have a 1TB 7200RPM WD drive in the system.

 

[dfuze]

What size monitor are you using?
Faster ram should work fine in it at the speed the board can handle.

 

[Pederv]

The video card upgrade would probably return the most performance per dollar.
Getting 2 X 2GB of 1066 would work on your system, it would just be downclocked. The memory upgrade and video upgrade could be transfered to a newer system (that is DDR2 compatible of course) at a later date.

 

[Syran]

Honestly. I'd stick with the video card for now, and buff up the holy trinity of CPU/Memory/Mobo. The video card can be replaced later at probably a cheaper price when he starts playing something needing it.

Here's a decent combo:

Phenom II - X2 Black w/ Gigabyte Motherboard = $144.98 - $10 MIR
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

$224.97 - $10MIR + Shipping.

 

[heymrdj]

I would imagine on that X2 if he plays something here far in the future it will be CPU limited. A nice i5 or Phenom II setup with that gfx card should eek out some more time. I'd do that over the gfx card for now.

 

[MrK6]

What resolution is he playing at?

 

[Synaptic71]

Thank you for all of your answers so far.

He is playing at 1680x1050 resolution.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Honestly. I'd stick with the video card for now, and buff up the holy trinity of CPU/Memory/Mobo. The video card can be replaced later at probably a cheaper price when he starts playing something needing it.

Here's a decent combo:

Phenom II - X2 Black w/ Gigabyte Motherboard = $144.98 - $10 MIR
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

$224.97 - $10MIR + Shipping.

This.

I think the Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 is on the Gigabyte QVL list.

With the Phenom 550BE you make also take your chances on the AMD Chip Lottery ---- depending upon your Karma P) by setting 'EC Firmware' to hybrid and 'ACC' to Auto the CPU may unlock to a quad core.



-

 

[BOLt]

That system is very solid, especially for the games listed. I would upgrade the graphics card, if anything. The graphics card is always going to be the single most important aspect of a gaming computer (provided that you've got sufficient RAM--which you do). RAM will only get cheaper in the future, so I'd wait to upgrade that to 4 GB or more only when you really feel like it's limiting you.

To be honest, though, it's best to wait until you run across a game which the system cannot handle before upgrading. If you had listed Crysis or CoD 2 or the like, I'd right away tell you to upgrade the graphics card because the games are being limited by it. However, your son's current games list doesn't seem to warrant any significant upgrades at the moment.

Just my two cents.

 

[Mothergoose729]

Leave the computer alone, no point. Your son won't really notice playing games that can be maxed out easily and then some anyway.

Maybe a really nice monitor. Give the graphics a work out with a good 23 inch 1080p Acer or something (newegg has a few for around 200$).

 

[Chapbass]

I would agree with a nice monitor. Or hell, keyboard and mouse or a headset? I've always been a fan of upgrading those components you actually INTERACT with.


How about a dual monitor setup? I just left my triple monitor and back to one and i CANT STAND IT.



Or, if he uses it for more than just gaming, how about a decent SSD? kinda a longshot considering the prices are still dropping like crazy, but I figured id at least mention it

 

[Syran]

The reason I suggest mobo/cpu/memory over gpu is based on his request of a noticeable system increase, and he'll see that much more in this case, then upgrading the video. This is based on a guessed price range of $200-250 for whatever he does. I think he'll get more bang for his buck that way, and let the supply of video cards perk up a bit, and see what pricing does there. I think he'll end up getting more for less there then waiting for memory to drop in price, as it can only go down so low.