If you didn't game would you upgrade as often?

[kamaboko]

there have been so many threads by gamers about how fast they want their machines to be. i was wondering, if you didn't game, would you need to keep upgrading as often as you do? i ask because of the absurdity of it all. i mean, Doom3 comes out at about $40, and to play it people have to upgrade their systems by $400 or more. it just seems ridiculous. seriously, if i wasn't considering D3 or HL2, my machine would be perfectly fine for everything i use it for.

 

[Wags1974]

I played asherons call on a p2 386 gor a year, and spent 1100 so i could play it better on a p4 1.3ghz for three more. If your into mmorpg's and you know what sys you need the price per hour is pennies to upgrade.

The price is worth it if thats how we spend our spare time, if you dont game, then no it isnt. FPS gamers spend even more. Thank god fps games havent got their hooks in me YEt....

 

[Jeffyboy]

I play Quake3... and not so often. I don't game much but I still upgrade all my computers regularily just to make sure everything is in good shape... like an oil change..hehehe.
Especially the HD. After ya got a year or so on it... I like to replace it. Either everything gets replaced slowly... or after 8 years you replace it all with great pains usually.

Jeff

 

[kamaboko]

wow, i've been on the same hd's for nearly five years! maybe i should consider myself lucky.

 

[Sniper82]

well aside from Far Cry, D3 was the next big game. People who had to spend alot of money to upgrade to play that game will be able to play the next games coming in the next couple years with no problems I'm sure. They really ain't upgrading for just that game. If I didn't game I would probably upgrade every 2-3 years. I upgrade my video card once a year and never to the latest and greatest. I stick with the budget $200 cards. I only run 1024x768 max detail no FSAA or anything so I can always run the latest games.

I to a major mobo,CPU,memory upgrade about once every year and a half to 2 years.

 

[Patrick Wolf]

I wouldn't upgrade often if I didn't game. Games are very demanding on hardware.

 

[halfadder]

If I didn't game I would still be using my 866 MHz Pentium 3 and its GeForce 2.

With 512MB it runs WinXP and OfficeXP like a charm. (I haven't tried Office 2003 on it).

 

[MadMan2k]

I upgraded from an 800MHz celeron with 384 of ram and a GF2. Even if I didn't game, it would have been time for an upgrade.
In a couple more years I probably wont upgrade just yet, even if some good games come out, since I'll need the money for other things.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: kamaboko
there have been so many threads by gamers about how fast they want their machines to be. i was wondering, if you didn't game, would you need to keep upgrading as often as you do? i ask because of the absurdity of it all. i mean, Doom3 comes out at about $40, and to play it people have to upgrade their systems by $400 or more. it just seems ridiculous. seriously, if i wasn't considering D3 or HL2, my machine would be perfectly fine for everything i use it for.

If you are considering hl2, your machine is probably still fine considering it's scalability.

Me, I probably won't be getting a new machine after my current one. But my current one should last me quite a while. My first computer lasted 5 years.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

If I didn't game I'd still be on my PowerMac from 1996.

 

[D1gger]

Probably not. It would be hard to justify the new video card or the new processor/motherboard for surfing the net and using excel.

 

[ohnnyj]

I need an FX-55, 2GB RAM, RAID0 Raptor array, and 2x6800GTs so I can open Word in 2 sec rather than 5 sec. But seriously, you don't need much for your everday computing needs. It seems as though anything to do with graphics including gaming and 3D, CAD work is what is driving the accelerated rate of tech and upgrading.

 

[PascalT]

I'm a graphic designer and handle big files/photoshop operations, etc... so yea I would upgrade still. Mostly memory. I do game as well but not nearly as much asbefore. I keep to the 200.00 mid-range bang-for-the-buck cards.

i upgrade everything each 2 yrs. well mostly everything, I still have an old sb live value and speakers..

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: kamaboko
If you didn't game would you upgrade as often?

No, if I even did at all.

Damn you, John Carmack!

- M4H

 

[Amaroque]

I run a small DC farm. So, I would still be upgrading the CPU's just as often as I do now (every 3-6 mo).

 

[m3rcury]

No. And it makes sense. I haven't played a PC game in 6 months, and I haven't had an urge to go get a new video card for just as long. I did switch from a Ti4200 to a 9600XT, but that wasa because the XT has video in/out. Haven't played any games to see if the card is any faster.

 

[imported_sphinx]

I'm not a gamer at all, so, upgrading when something new comes out doesn't make sense financially. I only upgrade a after a new MS OS comes out. First computer I had was running Win 3.1. Skipped Win 95. Bought an HP running Win 98 se. Skipped Win ME. Bought an HP laptop running Win XP SP1. So, at this rate I will probably skip Longhorn and wait for the next OS. I only upgrade the RAM and to a bigger HD every now and then.

 

[TStep]

Yes, I upgrade often and don't have time to game a whole lot anymore (I leave that to my kids for the most part). Since I don't have any emotional attachment to hardware or companies, I only upgrade on when the deal is very good. I generally sell or hand down the old stuff to family. Always keeps me a few % behind the best that can be had for minimal to no cost. Downside is your screwing with hardware alot. The real cost is in my time, but it's sort of a hobby so I don't mind.

 

[timxpx]

if i didn't upgrade from a P4 1.6 to a 3.0 for gaming, i would have eventually done it to make video editing at home a little easier.

 

[barnett25]

I game and I still don't upgrade. I'll keep this sytem the way it is untill I can afford to buy a whole new computer.

 

[MDE]

I'd probably still be on my Athlon XP 2600+ and 512MB RAM that I upgraded to from a K6-2 400.

 

[wchou]

Originally posted by: barnett25
I game and I still don't upgrade. I'll keep this sytem the way it is untill I can afford to buy a whole new computer.

I'll never upgrade for at least another 10 years down the road. I need robots to help me decide what to do, not a stupid computer who is as dumb as brick of wall itself.

Sorry, it just not very economical sound wise to keep upgrading!

 

[The Green Bean]

I upgrade parts usually and hardly ever to a complete new system. Only when I require one. I couldnt play Far Cry maxed on a GF4Ti so I got a GT. It should last me a couple of gens. Besides that I upgraded memory and am going to upgrade to a new hard disk...Maybe later get S939 with a 3000+ and then get Dual cores when they come out.

 

[The Green Bean]

and before the 2500+ I had a P4 1.8 willamette with everything the else the same (except mobo ofcourse)

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: wolfman579
I wouldn't upgrade often if I didn't game. Games are very demanding on hardware.

Same here. I am building a whole new computer because my current one is a Dell2400 and is useless to build on so Im gonna keep it for a web surfer.