Due to a limited budget, Im unable to go on am out & out upgrade spree, especially since I want to get decent parts for my PC. So this has made me make a series of threads on these boards asking opinions of this part or that part. This thread is in the same vein, so I hope the generous folks can contribute their time in helping Saddam get closer to gaming oblivion. :-) I dont overclock so I dont need parts that are overclocking nirvana. Anyway, Im targeting one of either Ram,Video Card, or Mobo+CPU for the most immediate impact on gaming ( currently If I want to play the Supreme Commander demo I have to turn down the settings so much that the game looks like it was made 5yrs ago!). RAM: Typically, I'd think 1GB of ram should suffice but if there'd be magnificent performance jump I'd go for it. 2GB seems to be the standard for gaming, and I eventually want to cram 4GB. My other problem here apart from whether this part should assume primacy, is the brand. Generic ram looks very appealing to my wallet but Im yet to know whether its worth it. I saw this brand Apogee that is way cheaper than Corsair/Geil and Im wondering if it is a decent brand. Input on this would be highly appreciated. I could squeeze cash for the Corsair/Geil rams but I'd like to know why I shouldnt go for Kingston/Samsung/Apogee (without heat spreaders/sinks) instead. GPU: This has been my hardest battle. I already had a shortlist to pick from: 7600GS, 7900GT, or 7950GT, but with midrange DX10 cards around the corner I held back and went for an LCD. I realize to play new games on 1680 x 1050 resolution I need a better card and so it remains an option. My problem is that I want the card to last for at least a year (but hopefully 2 years) and remain capable of high-highest settings. Another worry is that if games are released using DX10 capabilities I'd be in a bind. Im not looking at Vista for at least another year or something like that, so if DX10 cards are only neccessay for Vista functions in the next year or so, I'd be glad to spend on a 7950GT. MOBO+CPU: My current board supports LGA 775 but its a crappy board that would be overreaching its capacities, especially since future upgrades (next 4-6months) would be beyond what its manufacturer imagined for it. Unless, if a kind soul can tell me why I shouldnt dump this board, I'd be looking forward to a more capable board. I was under the impression that my CPU was fully capable but all this talk of dual cores has left me disheartened. I'm looking at an E6400 but Im unsure if this is future-proof enough (3-5 yrs), so I'd be willing to spend lil extra for an E6600 (4MB) if it will take me to the promised land. As for boards, Im looking at the (MSI) Intel 965, unless some has got a better solution Here goes my system: _________________________________________ P4 3.0 HT 1GB Ram (2 512MB modules) 80 GB HD (Sata) 20 GB HD Nvidia 6800 XT Some cheap a$$ mobo by ECS (RS400) Generic 500 wt PSU _________________________________________ P.S. I recently got a 22" Samsung Syncmast 225BW that so far has been great, apart for some (negligible) ghosting in sport simulations. If someone's got this same LCD or has some experience with, I'd appreciate if some light can be shed here... Cheers!
Addendum: I just found out for a little bit more, an 8800 GTS could be had instead of the 7950GT. I suppose my wuestion is: What will be the bottleneck in my system? I suspect the CPU and if so the next question is: Will it be manageable for at least the next 4-6 months when I can invest in a mobo+cpu? Cheers!
Thats correct the CPU. Once you can upgrade to a dual core proc Sup Com will run much smoother. 4-6 months seems like a long time but its no I say hold out and pick a solid mobo cpu combo it will be the most impactful upgrade. Then go for that 8800GTS, the 320MB version is sub $300 right now.
Why would anyone want to name their profile after Saddam Hussein? I'm curious as to why anyone would think that was a good idea. Do you look up to the guy or something?
Thats correct the CPU. Once you can upgrade to a dual core proc Sup Com will run much smoother. 4-6 months seems like a long time but its no I say hold out and pick a solid mobo cpu combo it will be the most impactful upgrade. Then go for that 8800GTS, the 320MB version is sub $300 right now.cronomagical
4-6 months because I'd have to factor another $300-$400 into my budget. Im not an extreme enthusiast and only game on weekends but I like the great quality experience and so I dont mind shelling for decent parts. So my current CPU is $hitty? I thought my GPU was the $hittiest component of all! BTW, would the midrange DX10 card be better than the current 8800s? Saw a comment by someone that it would be adviseable to wait for something like the 8900GS... is it because its newer, it would be of higher performance? Thanks for your response. Cheers!
Why would anyone want to name their profile after Saddam Hussein? I'm curious as to why anyone would think that was a good idea. Do you look up to the guy or something?MrMcPeach
Why would anyone want to name their profile after MrMcPeach? I'm curious as to why anyone would think that was a good idea. Do you look up to the guy or something?
i would say get a new mobo, which would also mean get a new cpu, maybe hdd and ram and a new video card. but if you dont want to spend loads of money i woul dsay get a new video card. (nvidia 7950GT)
i would say get a new mobo, which would also mean get a new cpu, maybe hdd and ram and a new video card. but if you dont want to spend loads of money i woul dsay get a new video card. (nvidia 7950GT)yoyo462001
Maybe a new PC) :D . My main problem is prioritizing which to go for and in what order so as to achieve the the most significant performance gain and then rinse repeat. For cards, I think I may skip the 7950GT and bite the bullet for the 8800GTS 340mb. What would you suggest I should go for 1st?
[QUOTE="MrMcPeach"]Why would anyone want to name their profile after Saddam Hussein? I'm curious as to why anyone would think that was a good idea. Do you look up to the guy or something?Saddam_Hussain
Why would anyone want to name their profile after MrMcPeach? I'm curious as to why anyone would think that was a good idea. Do you look up to the guy or something? It's different when you name yourself after a war criminal though don't you think/
wait for nvidia's next dx10 batch, check my post somewhere down below on the main lobby, they look nice, and aren't huge hollow bricks like the 8800's :) the 8600 gt/s looks quite familiar....
i dunno, if i were you i would get a mobo + cpu first for about $300, then go for RAM and gpu in 6 months or so when youve saved up enough cash...crazytom49
Probably what Im going to do. I just feel awkward running a C2D and a 6800XT. Thanks.
It's different when you name yourself after a war criminal though don't you think/MrMcPeach
Perhaps, though it could be argued that several other 'emminent statesmen' can fit that description, but of a different flava. Back to the point, Saddam Hussein IMO is a catchy name, a provocative one as is evidenced by your response.
wait for nvidia's next dx10 batch, check my post somewhere down below on the main lobby, they look nice, and aren't huge hollow bricks like the 8800's the 8600 gt/s looks quite familiar....jfelisario
Are you saying performance-wise, the mid-range DX10 cards would be more capable than the 8800? I understand that they are using 128-bit GDDR3 as opposed to the 8800GTS's 256-bit GDDR3. Now, I dont know exactly what that means in terms of performance but one has been conditioned to look at higher numbers for better performance. Cheers!
[quote=crazytom49]i dunno, if i were you i would get a mobo + cpu first for about $300, then go for RAM and gpu in 6 months or so when youve saved up enough cash...Saddam_Hussain
Probably what Im going to do. I just feel awkward running a C2D and a 6800XT. Thanks. [quote=MrMcPeach]It's different when you name yourself after a war criminal though don't you think/ Perhaps, though it could be argued that several other 'emminent statesmen' can fit that description, but of a different flava. Back to the point, Saddam Hussein IMO is a catchy name, a provocative one as is evidenced by your response.
wait for nvidia's next dx10 batch, check my post somewhere down below on the main lobby, they look nice, and aren't huge hollow bricks like the 8800's the 8600 gt/s looks quite familiar....
Are you saying performance-wise, the mid-range DX10 cards would be more capable than the 8800? I understand that they are using 128-bit GDDR3 as opposed to the 8800GTS's 256-bit GDDR3. Now, I dont know exactly what that means in terms of performance but one has been conditioned to look at higher numbers for better performance. Cheers! Ack i fail to read on with the post..... yeah get the 8800 gts, that card is 320-bit by the way. my bad :(
Might get that. Anyway, back to my original issue... As you suggested initially I get a DX10 card, would I get the most significant performance boost witha GPU, instead of a CPU+Mobo or Ram?
to be honest, thats a pretty even system you got atm, with nothing loads slower than anything else. However, if you have a pentium 4 you may also only have an agp graphics port and ddr400 ram, in which case you would need to upgrade everything at once
yeah make sure you have pci-express and not AGP. also dont get any ram cause its not transferrable from DDR to DDR2. I if I was you would just wait for a while.
Cause whether ATI like it or not they have to release their dx10 cards at some point, when that happens we will probably see price drops from Nvidia or you never know ATI might blow Nvidia out of the water.
Also AM2+ or AM3 or whatever will come out at some point so again we will probably see marginal drops in C2D prices or AMD could blow Intel out of the water.
to be honest, thats a pretty even system you got atm, with nothing loads slower than anything else. However, if you have a pentium 4 you may also only have an agp graphics port and ddr400 ram, in which case you would need to upgrade everything at oncecrazytom49
I actually have a PCI-E card. I cannot afford to upgrade everything at once (I've got bills to pay so I cannot) so I need to find out what to aim for and in what order, give or take 2-3 months in between. And I want to make sure I get stuff thats gonna last me for at least 1.5-2 years and even then my system could hopefully be classified as medium (mediocre? :D) and would need an isolated upgrade here or there.
yeah make sure you have pci-express and not AGP. also dont get any ram cause its not transferrable from DDR to DDR2. I if I was you would just wait for a while.
Cause whether ATI like it or not they have to release their dx10 cards at some point, when that happens we will probably see price drops from Nvidia or you never know ATI might blow Nvidia out of the water.
Also AM2+ or AM3 or whatever will come out at some point so again we will probably see marginal drops in C2D prices or AMD could blow Intel out of the water. muppet1010
You know how it goes with waiting. One always waits. If the time comes to plunge, there'd be new stuff on the horizon that'll be worth waiting for. Imagine, I was waiting at the end of last year before I took the plunge with a 7600GS or a 7900GS but now that the 8800GTS 340mb is about the twice the price of a 7900GS and could last me almost 2 years (perhaps), Im aiming for it. I suppose the strategy Im working with is to upgrade a part (or two) that would give the most significant, immediate impact and after the r& r period (from the financial wounds) of 2 months or so, what could have made sense waiting for would be (nearly) optimal for purchase. Thanks folks for your input, highly appreciated.
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