Time to buy a computer?

[ku]

Okay, so here is the deal. I signed up for CPL (game tourny... most of you probably know about it) and I need a new computer for the BYOC. I'm planning to buy a new one in the summer anyway for college (woot) and I was just wondering when I should buy a new computer. Do you think there will be anything coming out in August? If not, I'm probably going to buy it early July. I don't really need a top of the line computer... something more like best bang for buck kinda computer. Suggestions? THANKS

 

[Todd33]

Not much in the CPU front, but PCI-E video cards are coming soon along with the new GPUs. I'm not sure that will be the best buy though. You may just want to stick with a 9800 pro and your choice of A64 or P4 with current, known boards.

 

[boran]

I suggest early to end Q1 2005, but that's my opinion

 

[shiftomnimega]

BTX form factor should be coming out towards the end of the year.

Not suggesting you wait to get BTX, just saying you wait for BTX to come out so all the ATX stuff (power supplies, mobos, cases) become cheaper.

 

[CJP]

Yeah, wait a little for the PCI-Express boards to come out. Even if you don't put a super expensive video card in it now, at least you'll be able to upgrade it easier in the future. There'll be cheap PCI-E cards out soon as well as the expensive ones.

 

[ku]

Cool. Thanks~ I need a new computer by summer anyway for college, and I need to be able to upgrade it as well so I guess PCI-E is worth waiting for? What about the BTX? Could someone link me up to a site with a description of BTX? Also, anyone know roughly when these are going to be released? Need to get the computer before college T_T (last August).

TIA

 

[biostud]

The switch to 775 and 939-pin sockets for CPU's. Not much difference now, but good when upgrading sometime in the future.

 

[Shlong]

Well at CPL I presume your gonna be playing counter-strike? If so, those 9800 Pro's going for around $200 will serve you well. Just wait until July, gather more information then. Since your going to Texas from New Jersey (in your profile) you should look into a SFF system.

 

[ku]

Okay, I know this is digging up a post from the GRAVE... but I need to set a financial schedule for the next several months for college and CPL. The most important thing I need to know is when the release dates are for each of the new things that are coming out: PCI-E (most important IMO), DDR2, BTX, etc. The reason I need to know when these are coming out are because I'm going to eventually need to upgrade throughout college. If I were to get AGP graphics card, for example, my upgrade path will be very limited when PCI-E is released. Well, for now, I just need to know exactly when these are expected to be released. If they are going to be released later this year, I might as well buy a computer before CPL. If they are going to come out before September, I will wait. I need to be able to upgrade throughout college so I really need this information. THANKS IN ADVANCE!

 

[Mik3y]

well, how much are u planning on spending?

 

[JBT]

I would wait till April-May when the new GPU's are released after that nothing TOO amazing.

 

[Lonyo]

Get a mobo that supports and has both DDR and DDR2 slots for memory, and PCI-E and AGP slots for graphics cards, then you'll be OK. (here's to hoping someone makes one of course, but I know there will be PCI-E and AGP boards, and there will be DDR and DDR2 boards, it's just whether anyone makes both combined).

 

[sharq]

I think your specs right now are pretty good, why not wait to upgrade a year or so after you start college? I would just upgrade the cpu to a 2400+ xp close to summer. You won't have to upgrade or OC your ram then, but I'm guessing you should be able to OC the crucial ram.

 

[ku]

I would really consider about using this computer for another year or so but the rest of my family is going to need it, so that is out of the question.

 

[Cypherdude1]

AMD Socket 939 in 90nm will be in volume starting in Q1 2005. PCI-E will be in volume late this year. The earliest you should upgrade is late this year since PCI-E is the only feature worth upgrading for.

Originally posted by: ku
I would really consider about using this computer for another year or so but the rest of my family is going to need it, so that is out of the question.

 

[Cerb]

Late summer will probably be the best time to buy. We'll know how many mobo makers stay away from BTX, how many complain about LGA775 (seems like a silly design to me...why have so much room for the pins to be bent?), new PCI-E video cards, Gb LAN cards, etc.

If budget isn't a major concern, then April/May will be fine. Nothing really new will be coming after that until Christmas time, but you must pay out your @$$ for new parts, esp. video cards.

 

[ku]

Hmm, so it seems as if early 2005 is really the best time to buy... Maybe I'll keep this computer and build my family a cheap one, or build myself a cheap one and just buy the new stuff when I need it. *cry*