What should I upgrade

[bandana163]

I'd change MB+CPU+RAM first and see how much faster your rig becomes.

A 1.2GHz CPU is a great bottleneck for a Ti500. A nicely OCed GF3 can score over 10000 in 3DMark01 for example. A 9800pro in that rig would not increase performance significantly.
In case you have a CompUSA nearby, their 9800pro for 200$ offer might seem very tempting, it's a very good deal.

I think the two most obvious paths are:
2500+ Barton - Nforce2 board (NF7, A7N8X...) - 2x256MB PC3200/3500
or
2.6C - i865 board (IS7-E/IS7...) - 2x256MB PC3200/3500
Both overclock very well, but the Intel one will cost you more.
2x512MB would be more future-wise, but also more expensive.

 

[Bonesdad]

Originally posted by: Bonesdad
Well, u might wanna wait till the new mobos with PCI Express start coming out...save more $$ in the meantime.

If you can't wait, then in this order:

mobo NForce2 - just about any board is good...just get teh features u want...for not much $$ the Shuttle AN35N is good (bout $63)
memory PC3200 DDR ... a single stick of 512 MB will do OK...I know u get dual DDR benefits, but not much (Buffalo or Crucial are fine, bout $85)
Video You can get the Sapphire 9800Pro for about $215...or the concensus for bang for buck seems to be the 9600XT for $150 (sapphire again)
processor Again, bang for buck sez Barton 2500+ (retail processor w/ HSF is $83)


Total for the above is $446 (with the 9800 Pro)....its a sweet little system...if you save a few bucks more you can get a nice overclocking mobo like the Abit NF7-S ($95) or the DFI Ultra Infinity ($93). That would bump it up to about $480.

U wanna make sure you have a good powersupply for these components. What kind of hard drive u got? Anyway, good luck.

Again, this fits your budget nicely and upgrades everything to topnotch...

 

[Zarick]

A few quick questions.
is the nf7-s better than the an35n? What would I be losing by going with the an35n. (I can bump the cash up to cover if its worth it)
I have never heard of buffalo ram.. how does it compare to kingston hyperx? Also.. if the proc is only 333 why would i not get pc2700 vs 3200?
9800 it is.. not really interested in the 9600.. if I cant get a beefier proc then I want the beefier video. Ill spend the extra cash.
Finally why the barton 2500 vs the xp 2600? they are similar in price. Whats the advantage?

 

[redass1876]

2500+ is the better overall processor, just like the XP2100+ was better than the 2200+, more stable and better lifespan

 

[Bonesdad]

The differences between NF7-S and AN35N are that NF7-S has:

Spdif output
firewire headers (2)
onboard SATA/RAID capabilities
onboard Soundstorm audio

You have a nicer soundcard than the soundstorm already, so if you need/want the other 3 features, the NF7-S is a great card.

Read the reviews for the Buffalo RAM on different threads on this forum. It's kind of a favorite around here. The modules with Winbond chips are the ones to get. Wouldn't say it's an advantage over Hyperx - may be a bit slower, but I was working in your budget constraints. hyperx is generally more $$. As for the 3200+, it will allow you to overclock your 2500+ to 3200+ speeds just by adjusting your FSB in BIOS. You can do that at your discretion, it's not necessary but it's a built in upgrade if/when you want it.

As for the 2500+ vs 2600+, it really doesn't make a diff. The 2500+ is a proven performer and OC's without a hitch. I imagine the 2600+ will too, but I haven't read about it much. Make sure you get the Barton 2600+ though, it runs cooler.