Upgrading My Desktop For Gaming

[MoeBackus]

I've been contemplating on whether or not to upgrade my PC which is about 3 years old now. I haven't really been following the new parts that have been coming out since then so I'm asking you guys for some help because I think you guys are the best guys to ask.

My current system is this:

Motherboard: DFI Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra-D
Processor: AMD 3500+ Winchester
RAM: Corsair Dual Channel CMX512-3200C2PT (2x 512mb modules)
Video Card # 1: BFG 6800 GT OC PCI-E
Hard Drive # 1: Western Digital 80GB IDE
Hard Drive # 2: Seagate 80GB SATA
Power Supply: Antec Neo Power 480
Case: Antec Lanboy

I mainly use my computer for playing games and media. I was thinking about upgrading my processor since they are so cheap now, but I've heard great things about the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors. But, if I wanted to mainly upgrade for games I would upgrade my video card, right? My budget is sub $300 or around there so I don't have "teh infineate moniez" to blow on the top of the line video card. What are my choices?

Thanks in advance

 

[w00t]

gaming is gpu dependent so a video card would be better for gaming. If I were you I'd just start saving for a new computer most likely that computer is fine in gaming at the moment sure there is better but you should be able to play almost any game atm.

 

[Job]

There's no point buying a new intel system - you'll have to replace pretty much EVERYTHING. fork out for the best video card you can afford - keep you running nicely for a loonnnng time (also, an extra gig of ram will go a long way). C2D is only worth it if you are gonna replace all your components anyway or if you have the money to indulge yourself......

for less than $300 i think you could squeeze in a 7900GS and an extra 2x512 sticks of RAM

The AMD 3500 is ample for most games and apps - just don't expect it to compare much to the new C2D cpus (try overclocking - you should be able to get at least 2.6ghz out of it)

 

[ebeattie]

As others have said, a 939 system is plenty. See my sig for my specs.

It is my belief though that if you decide to pony up for an 8800 series card, do yourself the favor of getting an OEM version of Vista. I get the feeling that XP isnt going to get the driver attention that Vista will. Plus the fact that everything is going Vista anyway.

For you, I think a RAM upgrade to 1GB and a 320MB 8800GTS would do the trick. If you really want a dual core 939, I would wait until after you get your new card and mem tqweaked and evaluate your system then. 939 prices should keep falling so look out for the deals!

 

[Job]

I don't think you could manage an 8800gts AND an extra gig of ram for $300 - altho if you can stretch to the 8800gts then go for it, and get the extra ram later - you'll see a massive increase in performance

 

[MoeBackus]

Thanks for all the help guys. A few questions though -- will I notice a big difference if I upgrade from 1 gig of RAM to 2 gigs? If I get an 8800 series card will I need to upgrade my power supply and what 320mb card would you recommend?

 

[Job]

There isnt as much a difference as there is from going from 512 to 1024 - but its still very noticeable, especially with multitasking and ram intensive games - if you are planning on going to vista I really wouldnt recommend any less than 2 GB. Your power supply is fine for a 8800gts as long as you stay away from the pre-overclocked ones (eg XFX) - although these are much more expensive and probably out of ur price range anyway.

If you can get the card and the ram go for it, otherwise you'll notice MUCH more improvement, gaming wise, forking out for a better video vard

 

[MoeBackus]

Thanks.

Any specific recommendations on what 320mb 8800 series card I should look at buying?

 

[Job]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814122021

Ignore the guys who rant about incompatibility, they're probably using the same drivers as their old cards - just get the right drivers for it and you'll be fine (Nvidia have separate 8xxx series drivers) - I've had leadtek for my last 3 cards and they've been good value and very stable.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

HOLD ON A SECOND
before you buy that 8800gts, what resolution monitor do u play your games at? if its 1280x1024...the 8800gts will show minimal difference over an x1950 AGP or a 7900 AGP... get back to us

 

[MoeBackus]

It varies per game, but I think I do play at 1280x1024 on some of my games. My monitor has the ability to go to 1600x1200 though.

I was thinking about buying a new LCD anyways so I can use it for my PC and TV, but if there is a problem with the resolution then I guess I won't.

 

[Job]

With the 8800gts you'll be able to crank it up to 1600 x 1200 - also, even at 1280 x 1024 the 8800 will still show a massive improvement over a 6800 - especially in newer games (eg Oblivion, FEAR, etc) where anything less will just CRAWL - PS an AGP card wont work in a PCI-E....

 

[Azndude51]

An upgrade to a C2Duo proc won't be worth it for you. I, on the other hand, still have an AGP system so I decided to just upgrade everything since the best AGP card I could get would be an X1950pro. I just paid $900 for an E4300 (that I'm going to OC), mobo, 2GB DDR2 RAM, and 640MB 8800GTS and a couple other things. Of course, I'll probably make a few hundred back for selling my old parts.

But I agree with the others, since you're just limited to $300, a 320MB 8800GTS would be the best bet.

 

[sjandrewbsme]

You have an almost identical system to me:

Winchester 3500+
6600GT PCI-e
NF4 Mobo
2GB DDR Ram

While your CPU has some life in it left, I thing an upgrade to an 8800GTS would be pointless.

In your situation, depending on what you're playing, I think you would be better served getting something in the7XXX series of cards or just starting over.

I started over (E6600/8800GTS).

I would also not agree that gaming is GPU bottleneked. It depends on what you play. My 3500+ (overclocked no less) still chokes at 8x6 resolution on some games (UT2004 assault for one). The point being that the GPU is very important for gaming (in general) - but it's definitely the only important thing.

 

[ebeattie]

I just feel that a new Video card would be the best route for him to take. yes, ram and the CPU could be upgraded, but you have to remember that a solid video crd will go a long way, just as a good CPU and RAM would.

Im still runnin the same Corsair XMS 2x1GB ram that I have had since 2005. I have no plans on upgrading that anytime soon. In fact, Ill probably not change anything in my core hardware set untill AMD releases AM3 and are a generation or two deep! But my old 6800 GT playing Crysis, or Fuel of War, or Quake wars? It would run, but no effects, LOW resolutions and probably choppy all the same!

My recommendation is to get an EVGA 8800 GTS 320MB. Install it and play with it for a bit. THEN decide how much you actually need to upgrade your other components. RAM would be the next item to get and Id say leave the CPU as the last item. As I stated before, Dual core 939 chips will continue to fall in price, so leaving that for last will be beneficial.

 

[Job]

Originally posted by: sjandrewbsme
You have an almost identical system to me:

Winchester 3500+
6600GT PCI-e
NF4 Mobo
2GB DDR Ram

While your CPU has some life in it left, I thing an upgrade to an 8800GTS would be pointless.

In your situation, depending on what you're playing, I think you would be better served getting something in the7XXX series of cards or just starting over.

I started over (E6600/8800GTS).

I would also not agree that gaming is GPU bottleneked. It depends on what you play. My 3500+ (overclocked no less) still chokes at 8x6 resolution on some games (UT2004 assault for one). The point being that the GPU is very important for gaming (in general) - but it's definitely the only important thing.

I dont think the 8800gts is so fast that a 3500 would bottleneck it at 1600 x 1200, except in the CPU intensive games (Rome: Total War, maybe Oblivion) - im surprised you cant go above 800x600 with a 6600gt on UT2004 - I had that card for a while and it managed to play FEAR quite admirably at that res with a 3500+ at 2.4Ghz

 

[sjandrewbsme]

Originally posted by: Job

Originally posted by: sjandrewbsme
You have an almost identical system to me:

Winchester 3500+
6600GT PCI-e
NF4 Mobo
2GB DDR Ram

While your CPU has some life in it left, I thing an upgrade to an 8800GTS would be pointless.

In your situation, depending on what you're playing, I think you would be better served getting something in the7XXX series of cards or just starting over.

I started over (E6600/8800GTS).

I would also not agree that gaming is GPU bottleneked. It depends on what you play. My 3500+ (overclocked no less) still chokes at 8x6 resolution on some games (UT2004 assault for one). The point being that the GPU is very important for gaming (in general) - but it's definitely the only important thing.

I dont think the 8800gts is so fast that a 3500 would bottleneck it at 1600 x 1200, except in the CPU intensive games (Rome: Total War, maybe Oblivion) - im surprised you cant go above 800x600 with a 6600gt on UT2004 - I had that card for a while and it managed to play FEAR quite admirably at that res with a 3500+ at 2.4Ghz

UT2004 assault is a CPU killer.

I just wanted to prove to myself what the bottleneck was. I play at 12x10 regularly.

Right now I'm playing Supreme Commander - talk about a slideshow (on my old rig). This is at 10x7 with details and stuff low. With lots of stuff happening I would venture to say it averages 2-5 FPS.

If he's playing FPS games @ 16x12 and wants all the eye candy, a new GPU wouldn't hurt. If he's not, I think he would be better served saving whatever he has now toward a system wide upgrade down the road.

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: sjandrewbsme
I think he would be better served saving whatever he has now toward a system wide upgrade down the road.

His budget is only $300ish. He'd need to at least triple that in order to do a complete rebuild, so, according to his budget, the GTS 320mb would be a perfect fit right now.

However, you bring up a good point about saving... do you, MoeBackus, really *need* to upgrade right now? Is there something you are currently playing that your system cannot handle? Often times, people upgrade because prices are dropping and they have some money burning a hole in their pocket, or they see a game on the horizon that they know they'll need to upgrade for, but games get delayed and the money was spent too early.

I'm of the opinion that, if you're working with limited funds, you should wait until you actually NEED something to upgrade. After all, if you can last another 2 or 3 months, there might be another option at your price-point that may offer better value.

 

[sjandrewbsme]

Originally posted by: deadseasquirrel

Originally posted by: sjandrewbsme
I think he would be better served saving whatever he has now toward a system wide upgrade down the road.

His budget is only $300ish. He'd need to at least triple that in order to do a complete rebuild, so, according to his budget, the GTS 320mb would be a perfect fit right now.

However, you bring up a good point about saving... do you, MoeBackus, really *need* to upgrade right now? Is there something you are currently playing that your system cannot handle? Often times, people upgrade because prices are dropping and they have some money burning a whole in their pocket, or they see a game on the horizon that they know they'll need to upgrade for, but games get delayed and the money was spent too early.

I'm of the opinion that, if you're working with limited funds, you should wait until you actually NEED something to upgrade. After all, if you can last another 2 or 3 months, there might be another option at your price-point that may offer better value.

That's very close to my point.

Is it worth $300 to switch bottlenecks and still get similar system-wide performance?

There are only a limited set of circumstances where he would realize a worthwhile increase in performance from a new GPU (largely very hi res gaming). I guess if his plan is to get a new GPU then a new s939 CPU down the road (while there are still processors in that socket type), I guess that would work...it's just not what I would do.

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: sjandrewbsme
Is it worth $300 to switch bottlenecks and still get similar system-wide performance?

Now that's where we disagree quite a bit. The upgrade from a 6800gt to an 8800gts 320 is huge. I went from 2 6800gt in SLI to an x1900xtx and STILL saw a very big improvement. The GTS 320 is, in several benchmarks, just a few notches better than an x19xtx. There is little doubt he will see a good improvement in his gaming.

The question is, what games is he playing currently that need to be improved?

 

[sjandrewbsme]

I guess I'm largely still filtering this through what I do with my machine.

My single 6600GT is not the bottleneck for everything I do with the exact same processor.

 

[bob4432]

try to get another 1GB of ram and a x1950xt 256 card and you will be set for some time

 

[MoeBackus]

Thanks for all the help guys. The games I would be playing would be games like: Half-Life 2 (yes, I know it's not that much of a graphics hog, but it would be nice to be able to run it smoothly on high), Oblivion, Crysis, and new games that I can't think of.

One of my sticks of RAM just went bad again, so maybe this is a sign to upgrade my RAM.

 

[conlan]

You can find an X1950Pro or XT for <$200 w/ little effort, then another 1gig of Ram for <$100, and there goes your $300. BUT, if you can swing another $70, This 8800GTS 320 would handle Crysis better. Then, sell your surplus parts and upgrade your CPU to an X2 3800 or better and you'd be set for awhile.

BTW, your 480 Antec can more than handle any of the avove options w/ ease.