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AGP GPU folder

Gk22CoE

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 21, 2003
Messages
263
Alright so i'm in desprate need of upgrading my graphics card because i'm currently using a 128mb 6800 non ultra. My computer specs are... pentium 4 3.0ghz with 2gb ram. I am looking to upgrade the graphics card to the ATI 3850. This is the card I have been looking at ... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730

My two main reasons for upgrading
1. I feel as though my single core cpu is not doing much to benefit folidng@home and believe the ATI 3850 would greatly increase the benefit my computer would be to folding@home.
2. I really want to play some of the new games most namely Mass Effect and Starcraft 2.
(Need to be able to play the smoothly, I dont care how good graphics are)

I guess my question is...Will my will my two main reasons be meet adequetly with this graphics card upgrade?

 
Not much to choose from due to your AGP port, so this will (in my knowledge) be your best choice for an upgrade. I'm guessing your P4 CPU is a Northwood on Socket 478, right?

Might be a good time to pick up a P35 mobo and get a cheap 8800GT with a low-end C2D or Q6600? That's what I'd do tho.. will give you a huge boost in games, and put you up at around 7000+ PpD.

 
yep, northwood and 478 socket with agp of course. A new mobo/cpu/memory is out of the question for me right now(tight on money). I'm just trying to squeeze the last bit of life out of my pentium 4 before i build a completely new set up in a year or two.
 
yep, northwood and 478 socket with agp of course. A new mobo/cpu/memory is out of the question for me right now(tight on money). I'm just trying to squeeze the last bit of life out of my pentium 4 before i build a completely new set up in a year or two.

Well;

P35 Mobo: 74.99 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128084)
8800GT: 69.99 AR (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125089)
E7200: 129.99 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115052)
OCZ Reaper 2GB: 49.99 AR (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227191)

E7200, cheapest new 45nm proc, or you can go for a Pentium Dual-Core for $50. Combined it's like what? 250? Not bad given thought your considering a AGP 38xx for $150, and the nVidia (currently) really folds rings around ATi :)

 
That 3850 will net you about 1400 PPD or more :)

 
I wouldn't invest any money in an AGP card.

You could get a cheap G31,P31, P35 or GeForce 61x0,70x0, etc... for about $60-90
+ 2x1Gb ddr2 ram for $50+-
+ an e2180 for $70
+ an 8800GT for about $100+-

Total about $280+

and you'd have a nice system that could crank out 5000+ PPD.
It would be so much faster than an old P4 for everything.
 
A manufacturer recently announced a HD3870 AGP card. If anyone is still considering AGP, that card is probably the way to go but don't know the cost or the performance advantage in F@H over a 3850. OC might be easier though.

 
Trust me I understand it would be much better to build a new system but I truly can't spend over 150 bucks and if I were building a new system it would have to be at least a quad core along with other more expensive parts then the cheapest you have listed there, for me to be happy with it.

I'm guessing there is no additional information or release date on this agp 3870?
 
Skipped my posty, did'ya!? ;p

Actually, I had the page open before you made your post and was thinking the same thing. But I had to go somewhere/do something. Then came back to my computer several hours later & made my post! If I had stayed at my computer I would have beat you to the post!
 
Actually, I had the page open before you made your post and was thinking the same thing. But I had to go somewhere/do something. Then came back to my computer several hours later & made my post! If I had stayed at my computer I would have beat you to the post!

pfff lies! ;)
 
I wouldn't worry about waiting around for a AGP 3870. My PCIe 3870 only gets around 2k PPD, and if a stock 3850 gets around 1,400PPD, then the price premium isn't going to be worth it, plus, with the AGP bus, there are other limiting factors I believe. So I'd go with the 3850, upgrade to Vista, and then you can do both the GPU2 client & a regular CPU client.
 
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